Snotlout's Stories
by GreaserMcGoo
Summary: A collection of one-shots of one Snotlout Gary Jorgenson. There'll be action, sadness, romance, laughter and even some tears. Follow the clumsy, lovable Viking and Hookfang through his action and fun-filled adventures. More summary inside;willing to take requests (Note:This is my first HTTYD fanfic so I hope it's not too awful; I hope you enjoy and I would love feedback in return.)
1. Dragon Encounter

_**Here's More of the Summary**_ : A collection of one-shots of one Snotlout Gary Jorgenson. There'll be action, sadness, romance, laughter and even some tears. Follow Snotlout and Hookfang as Snotlout always manages to get himself into trouble. Follow Spitelout and his wife trying to raise a son, who, in his father's eyes, never seems to be good enough. But most importantly, follow Snotlout through each experience as he learns the most crucial life lessons of being a Dragon Rider and what it means to have Hookfang right there for him, to always guide him.

 **Dragon Encounter**

"Come on, boy-o, don't dawdle now." Spitelout glanced back at his son with narrowed eyes, scowling as he saw the boy nearly trip over a tree root from not paying attention of where he was going.

"Oops. Haha, sorry dad." Spitelout heard the boy laugh and he gripped the handle of his axe tighter, shaking his head a little. In his other hand, he firmly grasped the handle of his shield.

Snotlout carried his own axe and shield. He wore his helmet proudly as he marched behind his father into the woods, towards the cove. He was excited; his dad had told him he was taking him out to teach him how to use his axe properly, something he hadn't really gotten to do before.

Snotlout was eight years old now and already the spitting image of his father. Acted just liked him too. That was one thing Spitelout was proud of in his son, but it was one of the very few qualities he was proud of.

"You excited, boy-o?" Spitelout glanced around, his green eyes narrowed, taking in the atmosphere of the forest. He was listening for any dragons that might be lurking around.

Snotlout grinned, perking up. "You kidding, dad? I'm really excited! Can't wait to throw my axe for the first time…." Snotlout waved the heavy axe around in his hand with a grin. "You know Astrid practices with her axe all the time, dad. You should see her."

Spitelout watched as a bird flew off from a tree as they passed, only half-listening. "Yeah, that's great, son."

Snotlout was chuckling to himself as he waved his axe around. But the axe was heavy and even when he tried to hold onto it tightly with two hands, it whisked right out of his hands, hitting the back of his father's helmet with a loud clang.

Spitelout stopped and whipped around. "'Ey! Careful, son!" He rubbed at his helmet and glared down at him.

Snotlout grinned sheepishly, embarrassed. "Heh. Sorry Dad."

"Just pick it up." Spitelout pointed to the fallen axe and turned, continuing to march, his fur cape flapping behind him.

Snotlout watched his father a moment with big eyes, reaching down and picking up the axe. His father gave him that axe for his birthday few years ago. Snotlout was very proud to own one but he didn't think he could be as good as Astrid Hofferson. But that was why Spitelout was taking his son out now, to teach him to fend for himself and learn some combat.

Spitelout sniffed the air as he marched along, listening closely. He didn't see anything, no sign of dragons anywhere. Good.

He suddenly stopped and Snotlout bumped into him with an 'oof.'

"Watch it, boy-o." Spitelout growled softly at him with a glare, pointing an axe towards some trees. "We'll practice here."

Snotlout looked at the trees, blue eyes wide. "Okay. Sure Dad."

Spitelout set his shield down up against a nearby rock and watching him, Snotlout did the same, using two hands to grip his axe, standing beside his father, watching him.

Spitelout's axe in hand, he looked proud as he stood in battle stance, holding his axe tightly with one hand. He also looked like a true warrior. Snotlout was amazed by him.

"Okay son, watch your old man do the works. Axe-throwing is simple, shouldn't be hard, even for you…..watch."

Spitelout brought the axe back with a hand and then threw it, sending it flying, the blade landing on the trunk of an evergreen tree, implanting itself.

Spitelout laughed in success, putting his hands on his hips. "Aha, Spitelout, Spitelout, oi oi oi!" He praised himself gleefully with a smile. "Now son, it's your turn."

"Me?" Snotlout's grin fell and he looked at the tree, then back at his father. "Uh, I don't think I can do it, dad."

"Well sure you can, boy-o," Spitelout nudged him on the shoulder a little, smirking. "You got it in you."

Snotlout's axe was being held up in his arms and it felt like it was slipping out of his grip. "Uh, maybe you should show me another demonstration again?" He grinned sheepishly, suddenly afraid. He didn't think he could do it. At least never as good as his father.

Spitelout's hands went to his hips. "Now son, you're growing up now. You ain't gonna be havin' your old man teaching ya lessons like these yer whole life. You're a Jorgenson, boy-o. And Jorgensons, we're warriors. Now be a man and throw me that axe."

Snotlout hesitated, shifting on his feet, watching the tree in front of him with wide eyes.

When he didn't say anything, Spitelout hit his shoulder again. "Go on son, ya can do it."

Well, if his dad thought he could do it, then Snotlout thought he could do it.

The boy's eyebrows furrowed and he focused directly on the tree where he was aiming, doing his best to look tough.

Holding his axe with both hands, he raised it back and gave his best efforts, throwing his axe as hard as he could.

To say the axe went far was an understatement. Snotlout doubted it had even made it five feet.

He had thrown it practically straight into the ground.

A loud groan of disappointment came from his father, who shook his head with a scowl. "Ah, come on, son! Ye call that axe-throwing? You're gonna havta do better than that when it comes to combat, son. Otherwise, ye'd be dead in an instant."

Embarrassed, Snotlout grabbed the handle and pulled, trying to pry the blade out of the ground. "S-Sorry Dad." He kept his eyes downcast, frowning.

"Ach, jus' do it again, boy-o." Spitelout huffed, watching him.

Snotlout got the axe out of the ground and inhaled a deep breath, trying to relax. Being around his father always had him on edge.

This time he concentrated even harder on the tree in front of him and tried to use more of his strength, throwing the axe as hard as he could.

This time it went farther. But it still didn't make the tree. The axe was just too heavy for little Snotlout.

"Gah, come on son! You're better than this!" Spitelout almost growled at his son, giving him a mean look, walking over to the tree and yanking his axe out of the bark with ease, grabbing his son's on the way. "You're a Jorgenson! Now act like one!" He almost snapped, shoving the axe into his sons' arms.

"Now this is how you do it," He announced, repeating his process of bringing the axe back and throwing it, the satisfying crack of the blade landing in the bark ringing in the air.

Snotlout watched with an open mouth, frowning, eyes wide.

"Now you do it, jus' like that, boy-o." Spitelout looked at his son with a huff, watching him expectantly, narrow eyes dark.

Snotlout swallowed and tried again. It wasn't any better.

Now, Spitelout was losing his patience. Fetching his son's axe again, he grumbled aloud. "What in Valhalla is the matter with you, son? It's jus' a little axe-throwing. Sharpen up, boy-o!" He shoved the axe into Snotlout's arms.

"But dad, i-I'm tryin' my best."

Spitelout snorted at the whimper. "Yer best, eh? Well yer best ain't good enough. Come on, do it again now."

Snotlout raised the axe again.

"No no, boy-o, hold it one hand, one hand, son." Spitelout took his one of son's hand away. Snotlout's hand faltered. "Dad, it's heavy."

"Heavy? Oh don't even try me with heavy, jus' throw it, boy-o."

Biting his lip, Snotlout threw the axe and immediately regretted it.

Spitelout's fist hit him in the arm, not too hard but it still knocked him down. "Snotlout!" He growled. "What kind of Jorgenson are ya?"

Snotlout winced, rubbing at his arm. His head was immediately lowered, refusing to look up. He knew when his father got into his "angry moods" and when Spitelout's fists started punching, you didn't dare look directly into his eyes. "D-Dad, I-I"

"How are you going to become chief if you can't even throw one axe, boy-o?" Spitelout interrupted him, his voice gruff, eyes narrowed in anger. "Ye can't be chief if you can't even throw an axe."

"But dad, I ain't gonna be chief, Hiccup is." Snotlout frowned, managing to look up with big eyes.

"Hiccup? Stoick's offspring won't make it till even next spring. But you, Snotlout, you're gonna be chief one day. But not unless you can learn to handle an axe." Spitelout continued to criticize.

Snotlout got to his feet. "Dad, what if-"

"How you gonna defend yourself, son, when met with trouble?" Spitelout growled, pointing the axe threatingly at his son, who yelped a little and jumped back, wide-eyed, frightened.

Spitelout's expression darkened. "See boy-o? If you get scared from even yer ol' father-"

"I'm sorry dad, sorry, I jus', got scared."

"Scared? Scared boy-o?" Spitelout frowned, picking his son up by his shirt, making him flinch and squeak with fear. "I'll give ya somethin' to be scared about! If you don't start actin' like a real Jorgenson and soon, I'm gonna give you a real lickin', boy!"

Snotlout squirmed a little, trying not to cry. "Dad-"

"Whatta ye gonna do when a dragon tries to kill ya? Cry to yer old man?" Spitelout sneered, dropping his son. Snotlout stepped away, just glad his father hadn't hit him. "You have to be ready, Snotlout. You gotta fight and you gotta be good at it. Now we're gonna keep doin' this till you get it right, son!" Spitelout huffed, his voice mean and forceful.

"B-Bu-But Dad, I don't think I'll be as good as you." Snotlout peeped a little.

"You better be, son." Spitelout growled, grabbing his axe. "A Jorgenson does not fail nor do they tolerate failure." He gave a loud yell, tossing his axe angrily, listening to the crack of the impact. Snotlout flinched, gulping hard.

"So give it all you got, son." Spitelout glared at him.

"I can't, dad, I-" Snotlout shook his head with a whimper, starting to back away. He was scared of his father when he was mad, mainly because he didn't want to get pummeled when his dad beat him, but his dad was just outright, naturally scary.

Snotlout was also discouraged. Clearly he couldn't do this and his father was only getting more and more aggressive.

"Snotlout, don't you go runnin' off on me now, boy-o." Spitelout almost snarled, pointing a finger as a threat.

But Snotlout started jogging off, whimpering faintly, afraid his father would follow him and snatch him up and beat the living yak dung out of him. But he only heard him yell and that was a good thing.

"Snotlout! Snotlout!" Spitelout shouted, than snarled. He grabbed his son's little axe and threw it with a yell, panting as he watched it hit the tree. He muttered and cursed under his breath, cursing his son.

He was angry, furious more like it. Here was his son who he wanted to be chief but the boy couldn't throw an axe, not one axe. What kind of chief would that be? Certainly he'd never let his son grow up to be chief living like that. He'd need to spare himself the ultimate humiliation first.

Spitelout didn't go after his son, he didn't even care where the boy ran off to. Instead he took out his anger by axe-throwing, using both of the axes, swearing and muttering as he did so, marching each footstep with aggression, his whole attitude a grumble.

He picked up a stone and sharpened the blades, snorting to himself, tossing the axes effortlessly again. He didn't understand how his son couldn't learn to throw his axe; this was how Spitelout's father had taught him to use an axe after all.

Angrily, Spitelout snatched the handles tightly, pulling them out of the trunks with a huff, stomping off back to his throwing spot.

"Spitelout!" He heard a yell, perking up with a mean look, throwing his axe as he did so.

"Aye, hello Gobber." He straightened and watched as the one-legged, one-armed Viking came up to him. A little brown-haired Viking followed close behind him.

"What are you doin' all the way out here, huntin' for trolls?" Gobber joked, grinning as he walked up to his comrade.

"Thor's heifers, no!" Spitelout snorted, arms crossed across his chest. "Teachin' the boy a little axe-throwin' that's all."

"Oh! Well same here. Sorta. Tryin' to teach the wee one a few things around the bat too while his father's out on duty."

Spitelout's eyes wandered to Gobber's feet, scowlin' softly. "Hey Hiccup."

Hiccup's green eyes poked out from behind Gobber's leg, looking shy. "Hi Spitelout." Came his soft voice.

Spitelout eyed him; he pitied the chief's son, what a weakling. At least his son was much better off than that fishbone.

"Eh, Spitelout, in order to teach the wee one a little axe-throwin', don't you sorta need the wee one around?" Gobber looked around, brow raised.

Spitelout shook his head, groaning with frustration. "Ach, boy ran off after he couldn't even impress his father with some axe-throwin'. Even that wee lass Astrid does a better job than 'em."

Gobber didn't really answer, just nodded a little.

Hiccup came out from hiding and looked around. "Where's Snotlout?" He frowned. Even though Snotlout was mean, the two boys still played together. Since their fathers were so close they got put together for play time often.

"Ain't here, boy-o." Spitelout looked down at him, picking him up into his arms. "Ey, maybe you could try yer hand at axe-throwin', son, since my own's outta commission." He grinned a little, giving Hiccup Snotlout's little axe.

Hiccup dropped it almost instantly. "Whoa! It's heavy!" He could barely hold onto it and Spitelout sighed a little, taking it away. "Aye, guess not then."

Gobber chuckled a little, watching. "Sorry Spitelout, no dangerous axe play for this young-un under my watch. Stoick's orders."

Spitelout set Hiccup down as the boy squirmed and hopped away after a butterfly with a giggle. "Ach, that Stoick. Don't he know he's gotta get his boy ready to be chief?"

"Thought you said yer son's gonna be chief?" Gobber reminded him with a sort of drawl, giving him a dry look.

"He is." Spitelout sent him a look and then tossed his son's axe at the tree with force. "My son's gonna be chief or it's gonna be the death of me. Speakin' of which, where is that boy-o, anywho?" Spitelout looked around.

It had been awhile since his son had taken off.

"He better get back here if he knows what's good for him."

"I'm sure he's fine. He's Snotlout!" Gobber huffed. He never seemed too worried about anyone.

Spitelout went and grabbed his axe, shaking his head. "Ah, I better go find him. The Mrs. will have my head if I don't."

Gobber nodded a little. "Aye. Good luck to ya. Come on Hiccup, ye rascal. Let's go hunt for some trolls, but don't tell yer father."

Spitelout shook his head as he started walking off, grabbing his shield, starting off in search of his son. He just hoped the boy hadn't walked himself into any trouble or he'd give him trouble.

 **Meanwhile**

Little Snotlout hurried along from retreating away from his father, looking back with wide eyes. He was surprised his father hadn't followed but he was more glad for the latter, really.

He stopped jogging, after realizing he was safe. Looking around, he listened to the birds chirping. It was peaceful, out in the forest, even for Snotlout. He grinned a little, climbing over a log, looking up at all the tall trees looming around him.

He wondered if he should start trying to search for trolls, like Gobber had told him, when suddenly he heard a noise. Snotlout stopped, wide-eyed. What was that?

Snotlout was curious, looking all around him. It had sounded close. When he heard the noise again, he started to run towards it, though a little scared, not quite sure of what to expect.

He got to the cove and peered over the edge on his stomach, propped up on his elbows. "Huh." He looked around, not seeing anything.

Then there came the noise again and Snotlout jumped, flinching back, gasping when he saw what had made the noise. "A dragon!"

Snotlout cowered back a little, wide-eyed, afraid.

Down by the water, a young Dragon roared, rearing up on it's back legs, spreading it's wings out.

Snotlout recognized it as a Monstrous Nightmare dragon and even he knew how dangerous those dragons were. From where he lay, even from there the dragon looked scary.

Snotlout wanted to run away but he couldn't move, eyes fixated on the creature.

The dragon roared again and started flapping its wings, taking off, but soon she fell back to the ground with a weakened growl, slowly pulling herself back to her feet.

Snotlout watched with an open mouth as the dragon tried to fly away again but only fell to the ground. Scooting a little closer to the edge again, his eyebrows furrowed as he watched. "It's hurt…."

He frowned a little, watching the dragon struggle and give a pained roar, appearing weak. She raised herself but then fell back to her stomach, panting heavily, wings laid helplessly on the ground.

Frowning, Snotlout's mouth was an 'o'. He felt sorry for the dragon, completely forgetting he was supposed to be afraid of them. How could he be afraid of something when it was hurt and helpless?

Peering over the edge, Snotlout watched her struggle some more, frowning. He could remember times when he had gotten hurt and his father had to take him home and his mother would patch him up and give him stew and care for him, so that made him think. "Where's it's parents?" He whispered quietly.

The dragon down below let out another roar and started taking off again, eyes narrowed, trying to fly away, only to crash down again, landing hard.

Snotlout frowned and his eyebrows furrowed a little, almost sliding down over the edge to go help her. But then, there was an earth-shattering roar that left Snotlout frozen.

He heard wing-flapping and looked up with his mouth agape, gasping when he saw two massive Monstrous Nightmares fly down into the cove, landing near the young dragon, who roared in response, lifting her head.

Snotlout's eyes wide, he watched as the two adults nuzzled the head of the little one, their roars filling the air, the one nudging and sniffing at her injured wing.

Snotlout assumed it was the dragon's parents, the bigger one, the father, roaring out, trying to nudge his offspring into flying. The mother nuzzled her, roaring out softly, trying to help.

Snotlout felt sorry for the dragon family, watching with an upset frown. Then he saw another dragon near the three that he hadn't seen before. It was another young one, most likely the dragon's brother.

Bright red and lighting himself on fire with a roar, he flew up into the air and flapped in place, trying to encourage his sister to fly.

The sister roared and shrunk under her father's wing, nuzzling into his chest, looking scared. The father roared at the brother whose flames went out and he landed back on the ground, crawling near his sister with a soft grumble.

Snotlout, who was watching curiously, blinked and thought to himself and before he knew it, he carefully eased himself over the edge, sliding down until his feet hit the ground, and little Snotlout made his way over to the enormous beasts, not even feeling scared.

He thought he could help them.

As Snotlout came up to them, the mother was the first to notice, raising her head, eyes narrowing, growing suspicious. Then the father noticed and he raised his body, roaring loudly into Snotlout's face, growling.

Snotlout flinched and gasped a little, stopping, watching them, swallowing hard.

He eyed the two little dragons under their father's wing, who appeared a little scared.

"I-It's okay…." He peeped, taking a couple steps, voice shaky. "I-I wanna try an' help."

The father dragon glared with his piercing yellow eyes and was about to roar at the boy again but the mother stopped him, slowly lowering her head to Snotlout's level.

He stopped and looked at her; even her snout was ginormous! He looked into her huge yellow eyes who seemed to stare at him before she started sniffing him.

She was careful as she sniffed his face, particularly his hair, snorting, knocking his tiny helmet off his head onto the ground.

Snotlout giggled softly and picked it up to put it back on, smiling at her.

The mother dragon grumbled softly at the father who snorted, sniffing Snotlout as well, letting out an angry snort, a puff of clear smoke escaping his nostrils.

Snotlout chuckled lowly, when he saw the red dragon, the other little one, clamber out from under his father's wing, hobbling over to Snotlout's leg with a roar, nipping at him, shaking his head around.

Snotlout raised a brow at him and lifted his leg away, stepping aside, watching as the father snorted a puff of smoke into the red dragon's face with a growl.

He chuckled a little and looked at the injured dragon, the pink one, slowly coming up to her, knowing he had to be careful.

She looked scared and roared faintly, trying to keep her face hidden.

"H-Hey, it's okay," Snotlout spoke softly, extending a hand out, approaching her. "Maybe I can help you."

He came up to her and squatted down, gently touching her wing with a frown.

She scooted away a little and roared quietly, watching him.

Snotlout tried to think of how he could help her; he wished Gothi was here, she helped Vikings get better all the time.

As he sat there on his knees, the mother nudged him a little with her snout, roaring quietly with a snort. He glanced at her, still trying to think.

"SNOTLOUT!"

Snotlout nearly jumped out of his skin, gasping as he heard the loud war cry of his father, looking up with huge eyes to see his father running up hurriedly, axe and shield in hand.

Snotlout got to his feet and took a few quick steps towards him. "Dad?!"

Behind him, the dragons roared and raised themselves, growling and roaring loudly, sounding angry.

"Dad, what are you doing?!" Snotlout cried out, watching his dad run as fast as he could up to them.

Spitelout snarled ferociously as any dragon could, throwing his axe at the father dragon, running up to them, running past his son to protect him from the wild beasts. "Get back, son!"

"Wait Dad, don't! Dad!" Snotlout shouted, watching him, gasping when one of the dragons snapped its jaws loudly at Spitelout.

"Run, Snotlout! Get back!" Spitelout shouted, pushing his son back with a hand protectively as the father dragon lit himself aflame, standing tall on his legs, looming menacingly over the Vikings with a deafening roar.

Snotlout gasped when he saw the dragon aflame, stepping back a little, mouth open with sudden fear.

The father snapped his teeth at Spitelout again and Spitelout hit the dragon with a fist, trying to push his son back to protect him. "Snotlout run! Now, boy-o!"

Snotlout gasped and shook with fear, eyes huge, turning and running off a ways, frightened, whimpering as he ran to hide behind a large rock, chest heaving as he panted.

He heard his father let out another war cry and his yell sounded just as terrifying as the dragons' roars did. He heard one of the dragons roar and he heard a blast of flame followed by his father's yelling.

Snotlout gasped and looked over the rock, eyes wide with fear. "Daddy?!"

He couldn't see the dragons or his father, but he could hear them all and it didn't sound good. His father was constantly shouting when he was in battle and all he could hear was roaring, fire and war-cries.

He whimpered a little and hid back behind the rock, hoping his father would be okay.

Suddenly the noise quieted down and Snotlout couldn't hear anything. He held his breath and looked over expectantly, hoping to see his father appear.

Gaping, his father suddenly came into sight and walked towards him, marching quickly. Snotlout was so relieved to see him alive he didn't notice the angry look on his father's face as he lept out with a wide smile. "Daddy, you're okay!"

Spitelout didn't answer his son, he just kept walking, his expression looking murderous.

Snotlout's smile fell and he cowered a little, watching him. "Dad?"

As Spitelout walked past him, he grabbed his son's hand without a word and kept right on walking.

Snotlout swallowed and held his hand, walking quickly beside him, having to walk fast in order to keep up with him.

Spitelout's axe was in his other hand and he was gripping it tightly and when Snotlout glanced over at it, he saw the blade coated in red blood, making him swallow hard, looking up at his father with a scared look.

He didn't know if his father was mad or hurt or what he was feeling but Snotlout was scared either way as Spitelout's hand gripped his tightly, almost pulling him along as they headed for the village.

* * *

Spitelout gripped his son's hand all the way as he marched home, not saying one word to him, glaring ahead, green eyes piercing with fury.

He flung open the door to their home, bringing Snotlout inside with him.

Spitelout's wife, June, looked up from her sewing, looking a little surprised. "Back so early? How was the axe-throwing?" She smiled at Spitelout, then her son, looking at them expectantly.

Spitelout let go of his son's hand, looking cross. "Ach, we had a little interruption. Dragons, the foul vermin beasts."

June rose from her rocking chair. "Dragons?" She sort of gasped softly. "Is Snotlout okay?" She looked at their son, half-expecting him to be hurt.

Snotlout frowned at them with big eyes, sort of hiding behind his father.

Spitelout watched his wife look over their son with a mean look, scowling. "Son, go to yer room."

Snotlout frowned a little and wanted to protest, but when his father gave you that look you didn't dare object. So he turned and crawled up the stairs that went to his room, swallowing, not sure if he was in trouble or not.

"Spitelout, is he alright?" June looked at her husband, her blue eyes wide.

"He's fine, lass, you saw him. He wouldn't be if I hadn't showed up on time though. Those dragons nearly got 'em. Imma go have a talk with the boy, knock some sense into him."

"Please be gentle with him." June said softly. "He's still a child you know."

Snotlout was sitting on the edge of his bed when his father opened his bedroom door and walked in, startling him a little.

He still had no idea if he was in trouble or not and he swallowed softly, clutching his stuffed yak doll his mother made for him tightly to his chest. "Daddy?" He peeped, watching his father close the door and wordlessly pace around the room.

When his father didn't answer or look at him, Snotlout tensed as he feared the worst for his punishment, gulping a little. "Dad, I-"

"What were you thinkin' out there, boy-o?" Spitelout suddenly spoke and looked at him. Even his voice was cross. "Dragons?! How many times do I havta tell ye-"

"But Daddy, I didn't-"

"They're beasts, son!" Spitelout shouted, fist clenching. "Vermin! They're MONSTERS!"

Snotlout flinched at the yelling, watching with huge eyes and an open mouth, scared, holding his toy tightly. "Monsters?" He squeaked. That word got to him.

"Have ye forgotten what they've done to us, boy?! Not only do they raid our village and destroy our homes, they KILL us! It was a dragon that killed yer grandfather ya know! Took 'em away and ate 'em!" Spitelout was yelling.

Snotlout watched him as he angrily paced around the room, swallowing hard, shaking a little. His father was right though. Spitelout's father, Achelout, was taken away by a dragon and he wasn't seen ever again.

"Wh-what kind was it?" Snotlout suddenly asked before he could stop himself.

"What?" Spitelout demanded, stopping to look at his son incredously.

"What kind of dragon was it?" Snotlout frowned at him, looking innocent.

"I don't know!" Spitelout didn't care, looking at his son as if he was off his knocker. "They're all the same, they're all killers, Snotlout! They're dangerous! They killed yer grandfather, they killed yer uncle, they killed the chief's wife, they nearly killed you when you was a babe, they've killed hundreds of us! And they'll kill you too if you ain't careful."

Snotlout was gradually getting more and more worried, believing his father. "They-they will?"

"Aye, son! They will kill you. But not if ye have enough sense to defend yourself. Stay away from the beasts, son. Don't go near 'em ever again! Ye hear me?! Promise me ya ain't never goin' near 'em again."

Snotlout frowned deeply as he could remember the dragons lighting themselves aflame, roaring loudly, snapping their teeth at his father. The vivid memory was haunting and Snotlout shook, convinced.

"I-I promise, dad, I won't go near 'em again."

"Aye, ye bet you won't." Spitelout huffed at him. "And the only reason you would go near 'em is to kill those foul beasts! Them lizards don't deserve to live in this world!" Spitelout grabbed his son's stuffed dragon toy by its neck, holding it up with hatred, showing his son.

"The monsters don't belong anywhere but rotting in Hell itself!" He declared and tossed the toy into the nearby fireplace.

Snotlout gasped, watching the toy take flame, burning and melting. Just like the Monstrous Nightmares…

Scared now and afraid, Snotlout looked back at his father. "The dragons aren't going to come here, right Dad? I don't want them to get me…..!"

"Ah, no dragons are going to get ya, son."

"But they're gonna come here and burn our house and get me and you and even Mom!" Snotlout almost whimpered, the scary dragons from earlier still pictured in his mind.

"Snotlout, they ain't comin' here, son." Spitelout almost chuckled a little. "And even if they do, I'm going to protect you. I won't let them lizards get you or yer mother."

Snotlout looked at him, almost in amazement. "Really daddy?"

"Aye, son. Yer old man can take on them foul beasts." Spitelout was smiling now, hands on his hips. "They'll learn not to come 'round here ever again after I spill the guts of the lot of them." He laughed a loud, hearty laugh.

Snotlout smiled at him, no longer afraid.

Spitelout turned back to him. "And son, one day, you're gonna be killing dragons too my boy."

"Like you and Stoick?" Snotlout said slowly.

"Aye son, jus' like yer old man. But first, ye gotta learn to master the axe-throwing."

Snotlout hopped down to his feet, grinning. "I'll learn! Let's go practice again tomorrow, dad! Imma be the best, dad! Even better than Astrid!"

Spitelout laughed loudly. "Aha that's my boy!" He punched Snotlout's arm playfully, though a little roughly. "And good thing ye got a warrior like myself to teach ya the right way to do it, Thor Almighty!" He laughed again. "You're going to be the best of the best, son. Though, never as good as me of course…"

Snotlout was smiling widely up at his father. "You really think so, dad?" For once, his father didn't seem mad at him, he was encouraging him. That was a first.

"I know so, boy-o. Then you'll be the best chief there ever was." Spitelout smiled at him.

Snotlout almost giggled and came up to his father, hugging his leg tightly. "Thanks Dad!"

Spitelout smiled softly and patted his son's head gently with a chuckle.

"And thanks for saving me earlier." Snotlout peeped quietly, looking up at his father with his big, blue eyes, smiling.

Spitelout looked a little surprised, but smiled, continuing to pat the boy's head. "Aye. Yer welcome son. I'll always be here to save you when I need to. Ye can count on that, boy-o."

 **A/N: Well how was it? I'd really like to know if you liked it or hated it...also, won't be accepting requests for Snotlout from HTTYD 3 cause i've still got 22 days to go, ugh.**


	2. You're the Coolest Girl I've Ever Met

**A/N: A Friendship oneshot between Astrid and Snotlout upon a request. Takes place during RTTE during the war with the Flyers but before Johann's "big reveal" as we'll call it. Please enjoy and shoot me a Snotlout request if you'd like. :)**

You're The Coolest Girl I've Ever Met, Honestly

"ARRRRGGHHHH!"

"Hey! That one was actually funny that time!"

"Why can't you just shut up, Snotlout?! I don't want to hear any more of your stupid Jorgenson-family jokes…..!" Astrid clenched her fists in frustration, ready to tear her hair out.

"Well what else should we talk about then?" Snotlout snapped sassily. "My good looks?" He shot her a grin.

"How about we talk about what we're supposed to be doing." Astrid rolled her eyes, looking down at an island below from Stormfly.

"Oh, right. You mean the assignment Hiccup gave to us." Snotlout huffed. "Wait, what was it again?"

Astrid growled a little. "Hiccup sent us to patrol the neighboring islands to check on the wild dragons. He wants to make sure no more dragons have been captured by the hunters."

"Ohhhh, right. But why you and me? Shouldn't you be all Hiccstriding with him right now?" Snotlout smirked at her.

Astrid sent him a mean look. "I'd like to ask Hiccup the same thing, Snotlout. Why should I be partnered up with you?" She huffed sort of rudely.

"Hey don't blame me," Snotlout defended himself. "Blame Hiccup."

"Don't worry. I blame both of you." Astrid huffed softly. "Come on, we need to check out this island." She instructed, holding onto her saddle as Stormfly descended, Hookfang and Snotlout following directly after them.

Stormfly landed on the beach with a squawk, Astrid hopping off, axe in hand, looking around. "Alright, We gotta be stealthy. If any hunters are here, we don't wanna be seen. And Snotlout-" She turned to look at him as he stepped off of Hookfang. "Since stealthiness isn't your strong suit….."

"Hey, I can do this. Me and Hookfang will be extra quiet just for you, babe." Snotlout grinned, leaning on one of Hookfang's horns, who loudly snorted at him with a glare and the Viking got off him.

"Shhhh!" Astrid hissed at Hookfang, started to walk around cautiously, keeping an open eye.

"Yeah Hookfang, shhh!" Snotlout snorted at Hookfang with a huff. Hookfang's pupils narrowed and he roughly knocked Snotlout over with his snout, walking off after Stormfly.

"Hookfang….." Snotlout grumbled, spitting out some sand from his mouth, getting up.

Astrid moved aside some branches as she headed into the forest, listening and watching intently for both dragons and hunters.

She spotted some dragons up ahead by a stream as they walked further, stopping. "There's some; Nadders, Zipplebacks….." She whispered softly, pointing.

Snotlout came up behind her, looking bored. "Okay, we saw some dragons, they're fine. Can we go now?"

"Snotlout," Astrid huffed at him angrily. "That's not the point. We have to actually make sure they're accounted for. Don't you understand that's what Hiccup told us to do?"

"Well of course I understand that, Astrid," Snotlout huffed back. "But clearly there are no hunters here, those dragons are fine. It'll go into the all-clear report, now let's go."

Astrid glared at Snotlout as he stepped away. "Snotlout!" She hissed again, frustrated.

Stormfly squawked at Hookfang as he too followed after Snotlout. Hookfang looked back at her and snorted, blowing a puff of smoke into her face, making Stormfly sneeze.

"Oh so that's it, you're just leaving?" Astrid crossed her arms, watching angrily.

"What? I said we're done here." Snotlout waved her off, walking off. "Just chill, Astrid. It's not like anything's gonna happen while we're- _oh Thor!_ "

Snotlout hadn't been watching where he was going and basically walked himself right off the slope of a hill, now sliding, almost tumbling down the side, screaming.

Hookfang warbled a little in startlement, going wide-eyed, almost flaming up. Astrid wasn't even surprised. Typical Snotlout.

Snotlout tumbled over himself at the bottom and landed on his chest, looking up, eyes widening to hear voices.

"It's a Dragon Rider, Get him!"

Snotlout gasped and started scrambling to his feet as Dragon Hunters started towards him. "Aaah, Astrid!"

Astrid tensed at the shrill yell, gripping her axe tightly, peering over the edge of the slope, eyes widening at the sight of the Hunters. "What?!"

Snotlout screamed as an axe nearly took him out as four men came running up to him and there was no place for him to run nor did he have weapons on him.

Then Snotlout heard a roar and Hookfang landed in front of him with a furious growl, smacking away all the hunters with his tail, sending them flying.

"Oh thank Thor, come on Hooky," Snotlout grinned in relief, his heart racing, climbing onto his dragon's neck, saddling up as Hookfang started flapping his wings to fly off.

The Hunters were getting back to their feet. "Get the Flyers over 'ere!"

Astrid hopped skillfully onto Stormfly's back. "Come on, girl! Snotlout, let's take them out!" She directed as she got into the air.

"Couldn't agree with you more!" Snotlout grinned with furrowed eyebrows as Hookfang joined Stormfly in the air. "Get 'em, Fangster!"

Hookfang shot a blaze of fire at the hunters, Stormfly firing her magnesium blast as well, causing yells and shouts from below. Then arrows flew through the air and suddenly more Hunters appeared.

Stormfly and Hookfang maneuvered away from the arrows, squawking and snorting, Hookfang firing another blast at the Hunters angrily.

More arrows flew and some bolas as well but the dragons were quicker and faster, able to avoid them. Astrid and Snotlout thought they had the upper hand easily when they heard the all-too familiar roaring of incoming Singetails.

A lot of Singetails.

Astrid's eyes widened. "The Flyers are here!" Stormfly flew higher into the air as did Hookfang.

"We can take them too!" Snotlout huffed, looking at them as they were getting close.

"No we can't. There are way too many of them." Astrid stated, gasping as a bola from the hunters came flying way too close to Stormfly. "Fall back!"

"What? No, Astrid! We can take them, come on!" Snotlout shouted, eyes narrowed, not wanting to retreat.

"NO, Snotlout! Do you want to get killed, I said fall back! NOW!" Astrid yelled, taking off on Stormfly.

Snotlout frowned at her and looked back at the Hunters and the Flyers, dodging some more arrows. He realized he and Hookfang certainly couldn't take them all on by themselves. "Gah, come on Hookfang."

Hookfang turned and flew off after Stormfly as the Singetails came close, a few blasting fireballs at them.

Astrid held on tight to her saddle as Stormfly flew quickly, glancing back at the Singetails, then down at the island. She and Snotlout needed a place to take cover.

The Singetails fired again, one of their blasts hitting Hookfang, scaring the dragon, causing him to flame up, making Snotlout shriek.

"We need to get out of range! Come on Snotlout!" Astrid shouted, Stormfly descending for the trees.

"Down Hookfang!" Snotlout hollered, Hookfang dodging a Flyer who nearly rammed into them.

The two Dragons flew down into the trees, the Flyers still hot on their tails behind them.

Astrid gasped as a blast set some trees on fire ahead of her and she and Stormfly had to quickly dodge to avoid the flames. "We gotta lose these guys," She huffed under her breath, knowing she and Snotlout couldn't do this much longer.

Snotlout gasped as a Singetail flew in front of them, coming close, the Flyer reaching to grab him. Snotlout quickly punched him away with a glare, the Singetail flying away in freedom. "Astrid, whatta we do?!"

Astrid perked up as she saw a cave down below. "Down there! Let's lose 'em, Stormfly. Follow me, Snotlout!"

Stormfly descended, Hookfang not far behind, the Singetails still hot on their tails.

Snotlout watched the back of Astrid's head with wide eyes, admittedly afraid with all the Flyers trailing them.

Then suddenly Stormfly rounded a corner and disappeared and Snotlout had to tighten his grip on Hookfang's horns as he too sharply turned the corner, flying into a cave.

The Flyers hadn't seen them turn and continued flying straight ahead.

The two Vikings exhaled in relief, Snotlout hopping to the ground. "Phew, okay, that was too close."

Astrid came over and punched him hard.

"Ow! What was that for?" Snotlout rubbed his arm.

"Thanks a lot, Snotlout, now thanks to you, the Flyers are after us! It's your clumsiness that got us into this mess." Astrid huffed, looking around the cave.

"Hey, this isn't because of me. They could have found us at any time." Snotlout huffed in defense.

"No Snotlout, this is because of you." Astrid turned to glare at him. "If you hadn't fallen right in front of their lowdown faces, we wouldn't be taking cover in this cave."

"Well hey, at least they're going after us and not the dragons!" Snotlout snorted. "If you had been stuck with Fishface or the twins, you'd be in even worse trouble, admit it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Astrid growled, walking deeper into the cave so they'd be more hidden.

"It means that besides your good friend, Hiccup, I'm the next best Viking to be with. If you had been with the Twins, or even just one of them, you'd prolly be in Valhalla by now." Snotlout crossed his arms, glancing at Hookfang at his side.

Astrid looked back at him, not saying anything a minute. "Okay, you're right, Snotlout. I am better off being with you than with Fishlegs or the Twins."

"Aha, I knew it, wait what?" Snotlout's face fell in surprise. "You actually…..?"

"As annoying, moronic, stupid and foolish as you are,"

"Hey!"

"You're a really good fighter and leader and you care. You know what to do in combat. Most of the time."

Snotlout looked surprised and also touched. "Wow Astrid. You mean all that? Cause for a second there it almost sounded as if you care about me."

Astrid looked serious, sincere. "Well as much as I hate to admit it, yes Snotlout I care. You may be a mutton-head but surprisingly you are still my friend."

Hookfang went over to Stormfly, who squawked softly at him, Hookfang warbling lowly in response, both staying close to their Riders.

"Wow Astrid. Thanks. Means a lot comin' from you." Snotlout smirked lightly.

"I know it does." Astrid smirked softly too. "But it's not like you feel the same way about me, I mean, surely you'd rather be with Ruffnut or Heather or any other Viking girl." She shrugged her shoulders as she put her axe away.

Snotlout watched her. "Actually Astrid, I'm glad I'm with you too. You're actually the coolest girl I've ever met, honestly. Which still doesn't make sense that Hiccup is now somehow your boyfriend, I mean seriously, come on…!"

Astrid held back a laugh. "Hmmm. It was just meant to be. Thanks, Snotlout."

Suddenly the cave rumbled and shook as a blast struck the mountain from outside, causing the two to stumble and flinch, Stormfly and Hookfang roaring in startlement.

Snotlout looked back at the entrance of the cave, then Astrid. "So what's the plan then? You have one right?"

"We need to slip away from the Hunters and Flyers without getting caught or flying too close to their arrows, which is too difficult with only two of us. One of us would prolly get caught for sure. And by one of us, I mean you, Snotlout." Astrid said softly.

Snotlout didn't object, even he knew she was right. Instead, he was thinking, glancing at their Dragons.

"Astrid," He started, almost with a sigh. "The only way we can get out of this is if one of us creates a diversion for the Hunters and Flyers while the other goes and gets help. I can do that, Astrid. It's the only way we'll-"

"No Snotlout, we can't do that," Astrid's face fell. " **I** can't do that. I can't just let you get captured-"

"Astrid, it's the only way we can escape. 'Sides, once you and Stormfly get away, you can go get Hiccup and then come back for me. The Hunters wouldn't do anything to me anyways."

"But what about Hookfang? You don't know what they could do to him." Astrid frowned deeply at him.

Hookfang lifted his head with a frown, roaring softly, looking at Snotlout with big eyes. Snotlout shared a look with his beloved dragon. "Hookfang will be fine. I'll make sure of it."

"Snotlout, I can't. We'll think of another plan but there's no way I can just-"

The mountain shook again as another blast struck, Snotlout and Astrid stumbling on their feet.

Snotlout raised his head with wide eyes. "It's too late now. Astrid, we gotta do this."

Astrid shook her head with wide eyes. "No, we can't, I won't let you. We'll fly out together, that's final."

Snotlout went over to Hookfang to saddle up, frowning at her. "Astrid, I-"

"No, we're going together." Astrid huffed as she hopped onto Stormfly. "I'll be right by your side. Come on!"

Stormfly started flying out of the cave and Snotlout frowned, not understanding why Astrid didn't approve of his plan.

Nevertheless, he wasn't about to let her get captured alone so he followed her out on Hookfang, tense and alert, hands firmly gripping Hookfang's horns tightly.

Stormfly flew out of the cave swiftly, Hookfang right behind her, yells immediately sounding from the distance where the Flyers were.

Soon, they too were flying after them, fireballs blazing rapidly through the air, the dragons having to dodge and avoid them like mad.

Snotlout hung on tight as Hookfang spun through the air, narrowly avoiding a blast. The dragon roared, frightened and worried for his rider. Snotlout gently patted his head. "Easy Fangster, it'll be alright."

The two dragons flew rapidly above the island, trying to escape but the Singetails were just as fast and their fire blasts were flying everywhere.

A blast struck Stormfly, stunning her, causing her to cry out and flail in the air, flapping her wings everywhere as she began to fall to the ground, Astrid yelling out.

Snotlout gasped, watching them. "Astrid, no!"

Stormfly fell on the ground with a hard landing, disorientated and momentarily stunned. "Easy girl, come on, we gotta keep going…." Astrid urged, hopping off her back and near her dragon's snout, scratching her chin softly in comfort.

A few Flyers descended, nearing Astrid on the ground, who grabbed her axe and raised it in defense, standing protectively in front of her dragon.

"Oh no you don't!" Snotlout growled as he saw the Flyers going after his friend, eyes narrowed as Hookfang quickly descended near them.

Seeing them closing in on Astrid, Snotlout knew what he had to do, growling softly again. "HEY! Giant Jerk-Face Dragon Flyers!" He shouted to get their attention. "I've got the Dragon Eye with me! If you want it, you have to come and get it!" He huffed, starting to fly away.

The Flyers looked at each other. "He's got the Dragon Eye!"

"But what about the girl?!"

"Leave her. If we can get the Dragon Eye, the boy and his dragon, that'll be plenty. Let's get 'em!"

The Flyers turned and flew off after Hookfang, leaving Astrid and Stormfly behind. Astrid gaped as she watched them, swallowing hard, knowing Snotlout had just put his life on the line for her and she felt honored, yet feared for her friend's life.

Knowing she had to go and get help right away like Snotlout said, she hopped onto Stormfly, who rose to her feet, already flapping off. "Come on girl! We have to hurry!"

"Get him!"

Snotlout glanced back at the Flyers, who were already catching up to them. _Maybe this wasn't the best plan_ …..but Snotlout knew it was worth it if Astrid and Stormfly were able to escape.

Hookfang flapped his wings as fast as he could, soaring through the air, trying to avoid blasts the best he could, roaring in distress when Snotlout nearly fell clean off him.

"Woah! Okay, easy Hookfang, just keep flying big boy!"

A Flyer flew around in front of them, making Hookfang stop and fire at him, diving to get to lower ground to avoid them all.

Flying right above the trees, a blast narrowly missed Snotlout, instead setting a patch of trees aflame, making Snotlout swallow hard with fear.

Suddenly a Singetail neared them and Snotlout was suddenly falling, having been knocked off by the Singetail's whip-like tail.

"Hookfang!" Snotlout screamed as he fell, eyeing the ground just below him.

Hookfang screeched and dove after him, grabbing him in his claws protectively, hitting the ground hard but Snotlout tumbled from his grip, somersaulting across the ground with an 'oof!'

Dazed, Snotlout groaned and shook his head, sitting up, gasping as Hunters approached him on foot.

"Get him!"

His eyes narrowed and he roze, balling his fists, punching away a Hunter who tried to take him out, dodging another, taking him out as well with a growl.

Suddenly something heavy slammed into him and Snotlout found himself face down on the ground, a large body, followed by another, literally ontop of him, forcefully holding him down.

Snotlout squirmed and kicked, thrashing with a growl angrily. "Raaahh!" A hand slammed Snotlout's head down harshly, knocking his helmet away, making Snotlout cry out when a large hand clamped over his mouth.

"Get the Dragon Eye!"

"Search his Dragon!"

Snotlout yelled out as he heard Hookfang roaring and screeching in distress but his yells were muffled, still struggling to break free. "Mmmph!"

The Hunters growled. "It ain't on him!"

"Not here either!" Hookfang roared furiously in distress as ropes tied him down and Hunters and Flyers held him down the best they could.

Snotlout was yanked off the ground and held by his arms as a Hunter snarled at him. "You don't have the Dragon Eye, do ye?"

Snotlout growled and jerked furiously, glaring, but the Hunters held him firmly, bigger and stronger than him.

The Hunter laughed at Snotlout. "No matter then. You'll serve us plenty. Krogan will enjoy earning you as his new prisoner." The man almost snickered.

Snotlout glowered and let out a snarl, elbowing the Hunter on his right hard in the stomach. The man yelped and let go of him, allowing Snotlout to punch the other away.

Seeing his opportunity, Hookfang roared and flamed up, firing at the nearby Flyers, the smell of burning flesh filling the air, rushing over to Snotlout to protect him.

A Hunter snarled at Snotlout, grabbing him from behind, pressing a dagger up against his throat, breathing foully into Snotlout's ear as he held him. "I don't think so!"

But Hookfang ran up with a glare and roared in fury, knocking away the Hunter with his tail, snorting at Snotlout protectively, knocking away more Hunters by spreading his wings, flaming up as he roared again.

"Thatta boy, Fangster." Snotlout grinned at him, punching another Hunter angrily, hurrying to Hookfang's neck, hopping on. "Come on, let's ditch these losers!"

Hookfang didn't hesitate and immediately took flight into the air, snorting.

But the Flyers followed them, Singetails right behind them, closing in.

Snotlout looked back at them, glaring angrily. "Come on Hookfang, we gotta lose these guys, we can't let them take us down again. Go up, up Hookfang!"

Hookfang snarled and took to the air, gaining altitude, flapping his wings hard, determined to get them outta there.

They flew into the clouds, Hookfang soaring quickly through the sky, snorting.

The sounds of the dragon roars behind them faded.

"Huh?" Snotlout looked back, seeing nothing but clouds, surprised. "They're gone!"

He didn't know where they went but at least they weren't coming after him. "Thank Thor. Come on, Hookfang. Back to Dragons' Edge!"

* * *

"Come on, we have to hurry! Mount up!" Astrid ordered with a shout, hurrying to Stormfly.

A thud sounded as Hookfang landed near the stables, roaring softly as Snotlout got down, raising his snout.

"Snotlout!" Astrid cried and hurried over. "You're alive!" She embraced him in a hug.

Everyone else stared, going wide-eyed.

"Woah, Astrid, you okay? You're hugging me…." Snotlout blinked, surprised by the hug. "You do care, don't you…..?"

Astrid pulled away, just relieved Snotlout and Hookfang were okay. "Yes, Snotlout. Sadly and almost regrettably, I do." She smiled at him.

Hiccup walked up to join them. "We're glad you're here, Snotlout. Is anyone hurt?"

"We're fine. I told Astrid I'd be okay but I guess she still worried. I mean I handled those Flyers easily." Snotlout puffed his chest, boasting proudly.

Hookfang snarled and glared at his rider, shoving his snout into his face.

"Fine, _we_ handled those Flyers," Snotlout huffed. "But mostly me….." He added lowly with a smirk.

He chuckled lowly, along with everyone else, who smiled, knowing their friend and comrade were safe and home once again, out of harm's way.

 **A/N: Now that I think about it, the Flyers at this time wouldn't have been after the Dragon Eye but instead the lenses for it but oh well, i'm not going to go back and change it. I hope you liked this, it was fun to write. Feedback would be greatly appreciated! :D**


	3. Dragon Raid

_A/N: Okay, just a heads up: Valka accompanies Cloudjumper in this Dragon Raid but not to come back to Berk but rather to protect the Dragons and the Vikings and if anyone disagrees with this theory, oh well, it's a story. Personally, I could see her doing this so that's why I included it. Enjoy._

 **Dragon Raid**

"Light the torches!"

"Fire!"

"Phlegma, look out!"

"He's down! Kill it!"

Angry shouts and war-cries filled the air as dragons yet again were attacking Berk, raiding the village of their sheep, burning their houses in the process.

Spitelout Jorgenson jogged down the stairs of his house and to the front door, snatching an axe and sword from the wall with a scowl.

"Spitelout!" His wife followed him halfway down with wide eyes, hands balled into fists.

"I'll be fine, lass! Don't go on worryin' about me!" Spitelout huffed, glancing back at her. The ground shook as a dragon blast struck the earth just outside their house and the two stumbled on their feet.

"I have to get out there too! What about Snotlout?!"

"Leave him 'ere! I'll keep an eye on the house for ye!" Spitelout shouted, yanking open the door, already bursting outside, raising his weapons with an angry cry.

June looked back at Snotlout's room with an open mouth, almost not wanting to leave him behind. But taking a baby into a battle was even more dangerous so she knew she had no other choice then to leave him asleep in his crib.

Eyebrows furrowing, she took in a breath and hurried down the stairs, grabbing her own weapons, running out after her husband, looking up to see all the dragons already brutally attacking the entire village.

Making a final last prayer that her baby Snotlout would be okay, she dashed away, running into the danger with a war cry of her own.

"Come on ye scaly lizard, take me on!" Spitelout shouted furiously, punching away a Deadly Nadder.

The Dragon squawked and rose its tail, shooting spikes at Spitelout, who blocked them with his sword, chucking his axe at the dragon in response. "Gah!"

The Dragon yelped when the axe struck him and raised his wings with a roar, rushing towards the Viking, grabbing Spitelout with his large claws, taking off into the air with him.

"Oh ye want a little fight in the air do ye now?!" Spitelout shouted, thrashing his body in the Nadder's grip, kicking and punching at its legs.

The Nadder squawked and threw the Viking, tossing Spitelout straight into the roof of a Viking house. The Viking cried out and shook his head, momentarily dazed, jumping off with a yelp when a Magnesium blast from the dragon hit the spot directly next to him.

He landed atop of a few Vikings, them cushioning his fall, unwillingly of course, who growled and swore at him as they proceeded to get up. "Spitelout!"

Spitelout rose to his feet, ignoring them, growling as he snatched a sword away from a Viking near him, tossing it into the air at a Changewing, who crashed down with an agonizing roar.

"Spitelout, Spitelout, oi oi oi!" The Viking praised himself with a snort, glancing around at all the damage.

Vikings were scrambling all over and fires were everywhere, yelling and screaming filling the darkness of the night, a terrorizing noise.

Spitelout spotted the Chief, who dashed around, shoving away anything that dared cross paths with him, Vikings included. "Spitelout! Where is he?!"

Hearing his name, the Viking dashed over to him, ready to take orders, him being second-in-command after all. "Aye Chief, I'm here!"

"'Bout time! I need you on catapults! The Lukemaan's House has already been taken down, we need to strike those dragons first before they have a chance to even fire! I don't want any more dragons comin' near us, I am not losing anyone else after Valka." Stoick instructed, his voice commanding, revenge in his tone.

"Aye, Chief." Spitelout nodded and immediately took off to do as he was told, shouting a few orders to other Vikings as he passed.

He ran to the other side of the village, forgetting about the house he was supposed to be keeping watch over where his son slept.

A Thunderclaw shot flames at the Viking houses below as she glided overhead, roaring as she avoided an incoming bola.

Spitelout, now at the catapults, watched the skies for the dragons, firing when they were close enough, watching them hit the ground hard on impact.

Suddenly a fire blast struck directly at him, taking out the catapults in a blaze of tornado fire and Spitelout screamed as he jumped out of the way of the flames, gaping from the ground as he watched a massive Stormcutter fly past him.

Valka's head peered back as she held onto Cloudjumper's frills. "Sorry Spitelout," She whispered faintly under her breath, looking sorry, feeling guilty.

She wasn't here in aid of the dragons after all; she was accompanying them to make sure the Villagers were okay. More importantly Hiccup and Stoick. And she'd save any dragons that needed help if she could do it without being seen.

It had been weeks since she had been taken by her dragon and flying overhead Berk, looking down at everybody, she was missing them all over again.

But she belonged with the dragons now; she couldn't come back.

Looking down, making sure to stay well-hidden atop of Cloudjumper, Valka recognized the Hoffersons in battle, Phlegma the Fierce, the Dogsbreaths and…..Stoick.

Her heart ached when she saw him running about and shouting, screaming orders at people but she forced herself to look away, trying to pay closer mind to the Vikings and Dragons at battle.

"Help him, Cloudjumper," She pointed to a Dramillion who lay on the ground, about to be attacked by an oncoming Viking and an axe.

Cloudjumper roared and descended quickly, swooping down and snatching up the Dramillion with his talons before the Viking could strike.

He let go and the Dramillion roared and flew off in the other direction, Valka petting Cloudjumper's frills softly. "Thatta boy. Come on, we gotta make sure the rest stay safe."

Suddenly a baby's crying struck Valka's ears and she gasped, her mind instantly thinking it was Hiccup, the vision of him in his crib with Cloudjumper immediately playing through her mind.

Holding her breath, she frantically looked around for the source, praying to the gods it wasn't her son that was in peril.

She saw a house caught on fire and Valka pointed to it quickly, Cloudjumper flying over, Valka gaping as she looked down below.

Nobody seemed to be paying mind to the house or if they were, they were rushing off to get water.

Valka peered down at the house, which by now had a gaping hole in the roof where the fire had caved in, a baby's wailing coming loudly from inside and Valka gasped when she saw there was a dragon inside.

"Cloudjumper, we have to-"

There was a roar and suddenly the dragon was flying out and Valka looked to see it had a little bundle of fur wrapped around a baby clutched in its claws.

Valka gasped as she watched it fly off, the baby still wailing, her grip tightening on Cloudjumper's frills, getting to her feet. "Cloudjumper, after him!"

The Stormcutter roared in response and hurriedly took off after the dragon, eyes narrowed.

"Near it to the forest, we can't risk being seen or hurting the babe!" Valka shouted as they came close to the dragon.

The Dragon, a Shovelhelm, roared when it saw Cloudjumper, flying a little faster, making sure not to let go of the baby in his talons.

Cloudjumper roared and the Shovelhelm flinched a little, switching direction for the forest, descending lower.

Valka couldn't take her eyes off the baby and she didn't even have to give commands to Cloudjumper before he was flying underneath the Shovelhelm, allowing Valka to reach the baby from its claws.

Valka reached out with a soft gasp and took him, bringing him close to her chest, immediately looking him over.

The baby wriggled in his little fur wrap, wailing, highly discomforted. Valka immediately recognized him when she was saw his tufts of black hair and blue eyes, making her eyes widen even more.

"Snotlout?!"

The baby opened his eyes with a whimper, kicking softly, tears flowing down his cheeks as he cried, his little fists at his chest.

Valka's heart ached as she thought of her own son, swallowing hard, heavily reminded of him, clutching the babe closer, kissing his head.

"Shhh shhh, it's okay, don't cry now, I've got you….."

She had helped look after Snotlout with Hiccup when Snotlout's parents were too busy so she was quite familiar with the babe. He was a fussy one, almost never stopped crying.

Cloudjumper had landed by this point, looking at Valka as she stepped down off him, cocking his head curiously at the infant in her arms.

"Shhh Snotlout, I'm here, remember me?" Valka spoke softly, rocking the tiny baby in her arms closely, eyes wide.

Baby Snotlout whimpered and wiped at his eyes with his fists, lip quivering, quieting down a little as he looked at her, reaching a hand out to her face with a coo.

Valka continued to rock him, face full with worry, looking back at the village, seeing all the smoke rising in the air from the fires, some of the over-powering flames visible.

"It's okay Snotlout, I've got you…..oh, your father must be worried sick about you." She frowned deeply, stroking his tufts of hair gently, able to imagine how worry-struck Spitelout must be.

Snotlout sniffled and babbled something, reaching out for her, lip quivering.

Cloudjumper came near, lowering his face near Snotlout, sniffing him, curious. "Rrrr?"

Snotlout saw him and flinched, whimpering, letting out a cry.

"Don't worry, Cloudjumper, we'll get him back to Spitelout." Valka said lowly with a sigh, rocking the babe slowly, thinking of her son, eyes soft with love.

 **Mea** **nwhile**

"Don't let up!"

"Fire!"

"Watch the tail! Don't let 'em escape! Kill 'em if ye must! NO dragon's getting away this time!" Stoick shouted angrily, giving orders to everyone. "Spitelout, I need more bolas! And get us more nets! Kill any dragon you must!"

"Aye Chief!" Spitelout shouted, running off again, dodging a fire blast from a Monstrous Nightmare, hurrying towards Gobber's shop to get more bolas.

A dragon landed in front of him and Spitelout growled, leaping at it, tackling the dragon, pinning it down by it's snout. "How do ye like some of that fire, eh?!"

The Nadder thrashed and rolled, flailing, jerking it's head, throwing Spitelout aside, slamming him up against a hut, hurrying to it's feet, flicking out the spikes on her tail.

Spitelout growled with a glare, raising his sword, eyes narrowed, ready to tangle with the beast, tense with anticipation.

Suddenly there was an ear-piercing scream.

"Aaaaaahh! Spitelout!"

Spitelout's head rose instantly at his name, dropping his weapon, green eyes going wide, looking around him fearfully. "June?!"

"Spitelout!"

"June!" Spitelout shouted and took off running for their house, gaping with fear, rushing over, almost gasping when he saw the outside of their house was charred and burned with black, half the roof gone.

He rushed inside, breath caught in his throat, adrenaline running through him, looking around frantically. "June?!"

Not seeing her, he ran upstairs, spotting his son's door open with June inside, on her knees, looking like she was sobbing.

Spitelout hurried to her, kneeling down to her and grabbing her gently. "June lassie, what's the matter?!"

June was sobbing and could barely lift her head, her entire body shaking, raising an arm to point at their son's crib.

She tried to say the boy's name but she was sobbing so much with fear and worry she couldn't get anything out.

Spitelout lifted his head with huge eyes to look at the crib, dreadfully fearing the worst, almost gasping when he saw it was clean empty.

Fear instantly struck his heart and his jaw dropped at the sight of his son missing and Spitelout's breathing hitched with immediate worry.

He looked up at the looming hole in the roof directly above them, trying to hold himself together, eyes narrowing as his blame immediately went to the flying beasts, fearing they were the ones who had taken their son. First Valka. Then his son.

Spitelout's eyes went murderous and he roared with fury, running out of the house and back outside, snatching up a fallen axe from the ground, killing the first dragon he saw.

Panting and heaving with anger, he killed any dragon that dared come near him, blood coating the blade of his axe all over, blood also staining his tunic.

But he didn't care. This was for his son. HIS baby son that was taken.

"Rrrraaahhhh!" He screamed, killing another, swearing, yelling furiously, never having been so angry before, hardly able to control his heavy breathing.

At this point, the dragons had started to leave, taking off with the sheep and food that they had managed to raid.

Spitelout looked up as he yanked his axe out of the flesh of the dragon he had just killed, eyes flickering with anger, turning to sprint back to his house.

He ran up to see June outside, still crying, her face hidden into her hands. Hurriedly, with a pained expression, he came and wrapped his arms around her, dropping his axe. "It's okay, lass, it's okay."

"Alright, it's over! Get the last of the fires put out! Is anybody hurt?!" Stoick's voice bellowed through the air, strutting around to give orders, checking people's faces to make sure he recognized everyone and that they were okay.

Spitelout opened his mouth with wide eyes, looking at his wife, then Stoick, then back to her, his words caught in his throat, his chest pained at the thought of his son.

When nobody answered the chief, Stoick moved on with giving orders, looking around for his second-in-command. "Spitelout! Round everyone up for house inspections! I want a meeting in the Great Hall first thing tomorrow!"

Spitelout flinched at his name being called and barely even heard what the chief was saying, holding his wife closely, trembling as he swallowed hard, the sound of her sobbing crushing him. Softly, he laid his head atop of her's, squeezing his eyes shut tight as she cried into his chest, whimpering.

Stoick spotted them and came over to give his orders to Spitelout, marching up to them.

"Spitelout, I'm giving you an order, I-what's the matter with you two?" The chief stopped when he saw the Jorgensons, taken aback.

Spitelout opened his eyes and Stoick was appalled to see him looking pained and for once, scared. Looking like he was about to start crying himself, Spitelout frowned deeply at the chief, gripping his wife's hand so hard his knuckles were white.

"Sn-Snotlout's gone, Stoick…." He could barely make out, whispering, afraid he was going to start crying in front of his own chief and he didn't want to be humiliated, frowning deeply.

Stoick's eyes flashed with horror at Spitelout's words, his nostrils flaring a little, eyes wide.

"Search everywhere!" He suddenly screamed, voice booming, everyone looking over. "Search the entire island! Nobody stops until we find Snotlout! Search the woods, the village, search everywhere!"

Spitelout lifted his head at the yelling, looking a little surprised, frowning as he swallowed hard.

The chief turned to him when he was done shouting. "Easy Spitelout, we'll find him." He then darted off to start helping the villagers search for the missing baby.

Spitelout sucked in a breath, watching Stoick run off. June lifted her face from his chest, sniffling. "Sp-Spitelout?"

"He's right, lass, we can still search for him! There's still hope!" He started jogging off, suddenly urged to search everywhere, even the entire island, if it meant finding his son.

He glanced at the other Vikings who were also beginning to run around, yelling at each other, pointing and trying to tell each other where to go.

Eyebrows furrowed, Spitelout headed towards the woods, fists clenched tightly, praying to the gods that his son was alive and well and not down some nasty dragon's gullet.

He may not be too fond of his son's constant crying and constant need and want of attention, but still Snotlout is HIS son, so of course he was going to risk everything to look for him and get him back.

Jogging quickly towards to the forest, he looked everywhere, desperately wanting to find his son and look into the boy's bright blue eyes and hold his tiny wee hands again.

"Snotlout!"

Spitelout flinched when he heard Vikings call out for his son, the name making his heart ache.

 _What do they think he's going to answer? He's only a babe!_ Spitelout rolled his eyes.

Looking around, still seeing nothing, Vikings all around him searching as well, he began to get restless, frowning deeply, feeling his desperation growing.

"Come on, son, where are you?" He whispered under his breath, shaking his head with wide eyes as he looked around, seeing nothing.

He had reached the forest now and it was difficult to see in the dark but luckily some nearby Vikings had torches with them so he was able to see a little bit.

"Snotlout….." Spitelout swallowed, his frown and anxiety growing every second he looked for and didn't find his son.

 _What I wouldn't give to hear Snotlout's crying now_ ….. He thought to himself as he continued to jog around, desperate.

He'd never be able to forgive himself if they didn't get Snotlout back and he knew poor June couldn't live with herself either.

But even though he knew Valka hadn't came back, they had to get Snotlout back, they just had to.

Suddenly Spitelout lifted his head as he heard crying in the distance, baby crying. Could it be?!

It sure sounded like Snotlout. Loud. Annoying.

Instinctively, Spitelout turned and started running towards the sound, holding his breath, eyes wide, praying to Odin himself in hopes that it was his son.

He ran past some trees until he came to a large oak tree where, at the bottom near the trunk, lay his son, all wrapped up in his fur-wrap, wriggling softly on his back, appearing unscathed, as if he were placed there.

At the sight of his son, Spitelout gasped with joy and ran, scooping up the baby into his arms carefully, smiling and laughing, nuzzling his son's black hair affectionately with his chin.

"Snotlout! Thank Thor himself! Oh!"

Baby Snotlout heard his father's voice and perked up, sniffling, managing to blink his tears away and smile, reaching a hand up to touch his father's bushy, black beard, babbling cutely.

"Oh ho ho, boy-o! Thank the gods!" Spitelout was just so happy, he was smiling wider than ever, cradling his son affectionately. "June! June! I found him!"

His wife soon came running over at the yelling, gasping happily at the sight of their son, hurriedly taking him. "Snotlout!"

At the sight of his mother's face, Snotlout squealed happily and reached for her, smiling widely.

Spitelout was laughing as he smiled widely, kissing his wife softly on her forehead as she cradled their son closely, her laughing with relief as well, both of them completely overjoyed and relieved.

Admiring their son in his wife's arms, Spitelout suddenly remembered why they were out here in the first place and his eyes narrowed, looking around them suspiciously.

Was it dragons who had taken their son? A dragon couldn't know how to lay a baby so perfectly on the ground without injuring it…..bandits? Thieves? Kidnappers?

But then, why leave Snotlout behind…..?

"Spitelout!"

Spitelout flinched at his name and turned his head, seeing the chief coming up to them.

June was cooing to their son with baby-talk, baby Snotlout giggling and squealing, blue eyes sparkling innocently.

"Stoick, we found 'em!" Spitelout reminded himself to come back into reality, remembering the whole village was out there looking for his son.

Stoick came over, gently taking Snotlout into his own arms. "Is he alright?" Was his first question, looking the babe over carefully.

Snotlout giggled up at Stoick, waving a hand up at him, babbling.

"Yes, chief, he seems fine." June said softly, unable to stop smiling, too relieved their son had been found.

"Well thank the Gods for that."

Stoick then looked at Spitelout, eyebrows furrowing. "Was this dragons….?" He passed Snotlout back to his mother, who rocked her baby affectionately.

Spitelout frowned at him, eyes narrowed as well. "I dunno…our roof's half-destroyed but yet my son is fine. How can dat be?"

The thought of it being bandits, or kidnappers or even pirates ran through Spitelout's head again.

"It coulda been kidnappers, Stoick. Coulda been comin' after my son and used the fire as cover-up." He snorted.

June looked at her husband with a worried frown at the thought of kidnappers taking their son away but Stoick shook his head.

"No. The scouts would have seen anybody come onto this island. This was definitely dragons. We'll discuss it at tomorrow's meeting at the Great Hall. There's a lot of work that needs to be done. I want ten ships boarding out tomorrow, be ready." Stoick nodded as he gave his orders, starting to turn away.

"Glad Snotlout's okay. Take care."

"Aye chief. To you and Hiccup as well." Spitelout said lowly as he watched their chief walk off, coming back to June, looking down at their son, who was entertaining himself by blowing spit bubbles.

Spitelout let out a loud sigh as he watched him, June smiling down at the babe as well. "Oh boy-o. What are we gonna do with ye? You sure did give yer old man quite the scare." He chuckled lowly in spite of himself, shaking his head, stroking Snotlout's hair softly with a gentle hand.

Snotlout cooed and babbled, putting a fist into his mouth.

Spitelout smiled softly and turned to June. "Imma have to train more then ever now, lass. We cannot risk losing our son again."

June swallowed softly but nodded, gazing up into her husband's green, determined eyes.

Spitelout put a gentle hand onto her shoulder, dead serious. "Don't worry. I won't let anything else happen to him ever again. I swear it."

"I know you won't, Spitelout." June replied softly. The two shared a kiss and then Spitelout sighed, looking back at their son.

"Ye hear that, boy-o? You'll be safe from now on. I'm going to keep you safe."

Snotlout just responded by gnawing on his fist with his gums, babbling innocently to himself. Spitelout smiled softly and leaned down, kissing his son's forehead.

"I love ye, boy-o."

 **A/N: Awww, so nice seeing Spitelout being nice for once. This one was a hard one to write but I think it turned out okay. Maybe this explains Snotlout's infatuation for Valka in the third movie? Just kidding...my next oneshots are most likely going to be centered around HTTYD 3 so be ready. Unless anyone would like to make a request?**


	4. Our Teammate

**A/N: Here's Another One-Shot Based on a Request. Takes Place During RTTE.**

 **Our Teammate**

"Okay gang, let's take out these ships, just like we practiced!" Hiccup shouted to his teammates as they flew towards a small band of Hunter ships, ready to take them out as they came travelling back to the Edge from Berk.

The Dragon Riders looked down at the ships as the dragons started to descend. "Okay Hiccup!" Fishlegs called.

"We should take them out in no time as long as we're-"

"Snotlout!" Snotlout buffed his name with pride and flew ahead with Hookfang, going head-on into the fight himself.

"-careful and precise." Hiccup finished with a sigh, shaking his head at Snotlout's over-eagerness to go into battle, following after the Viking with the others.

"Ha ha ha, eat fire Hunters!" Snotlout laughed as Hookfang flamed up and soared through the sails attached to the mast of the ship, not only burning through the sails but he blasted the mast as well, the mast beginning to creak and topple over immediately afterwards.

Shouts filled the air as the Hunters took notice, pointing up and giving commands, running around to get to the catapults and arrows. "Dragon Riders!"

"Take 'em down!"

Hookfang fired at another ship as they flew past and by now, the others had came to join in, Stormfly firing her magnesium blast as she soared overtop one of the decks.

"Blast it, girl!" Fishlegs pointed as Meatlug flapped coming over. The Gronckle smiled and fired a lava blast at the ship, making a few Dragon Hunters jump overboard. "Thatta girl, Meatlug!"

While the others were busy taking on the ships and trying to free the captured dragons from their cages, Snotlout had other ideas about fighting in battle: his cockiness and ego was getting the better of him as he and Hookfang flew among the ships, Snotlout wanting to take on all the hunters himself.

"Outta my way!" He shouted at Fishlegs, flying straight past Meatlug, Hookfang diving straight for one of the ships.

When arrows start firing straight at them however, Hookfang darted away, exposing Meatlug in the arrows' paths, Fishlegs yelping as Meatlug got hit. Thank goodness she was immune to Dragon Root!

"Snotlout!" Fishlegs cried out at his comrade, shooting him a glare as Hookfang zoomed near the Twins.

Barf was currently emitting his gas around one of the ships and Belch was just about to spark when Hookfang flew straight through their gas, flying higher into the air. "Look out!" Snotlout snorted at them.

"Hey!"

"Hey, watch it!" Tuffnut growled.

As Hookfang flew up, some of Barf's gas came up into the air with him and directly near Stormfly, who was just trying to fly past when Belch sparked and the fire caught onto the gas, creating a blast of explosion right next to Astrid and Stormfly.

Astrid cried out and Stormfly flapped wildly in the air, startled, and Astrid was flung off of her back from the impact, falling through the air with a scream.

"Astrid!" Hiccup cried as he saw her, Toothless quickly diving after her, catching her before she could fall into the water.

"Thanks Hiccup," Astrid caught her breath, looking up as Toothless brought her back to Stormfly.

"Yeah don't mention it," Hiccup frowned, looking down towards the ships at Snotlout, eyes narrowed with a scowl on his face.

"Yeah ha ha ha, Hooky! Get 'em boy!" Snotlout jeered as Hookfang blasted at the ships, flying past in front of the other Riders, Hunters yelling and firing arrows at Hookfang, trying to take him out.

Of course none of them hit Hookfang but as he flew past the others they were now exposed and the Dragons had to maneuver and dodge out of the way quickly, struggling and crying out.

Snotlout hardly even realized, continuing to dive with Hookfang and take the Hunters straight on, chanting "Snotlout, Snotlout, oi oi oi!"

Hiccup was watching him, eyes narrowed. "What does he think he's doing?"

"Get 'em Windshear!" Heather called out as Windshear swooped in, slashing her tail at the masts of the ships, the masts immediately toppling into the sea after being sliced into two.

But then Hookfang came flying directly in Windshear's path and Heather and Windshear yelped as they had to maneuver quickly around him, faltering as Windshear had to spin and gain flight control again, Heather nearly falling off her back.

"Whoa!" She quickly grabbed onto her, pulling herself tighter onto Windshear's back, frowning. "It's okay, girl!"

"Ha ha! Outta my way, losers!" Snotlout shouted as he dove in front of the Twins, blocking their shot, Snotlout leaping on deck to take on the Hunters face to face, Hookfang helping.

Hiccup's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Okay, whatever this is, it needs to stop, but we gotta get those dragons freed, bud." He spoke to Toothless, who descended towards one of the ships, cleverly maneuvering arrows as they came flying towards them.

Toothless landed and Hiccup hopped on deck, jogging over to the cages holding the dragons, Toothless firing a plasma blast at nearby Hunters to keep them away.

Hiccup started freeing the dragons and setting them free but then Hookfang came rushing in, firing a direct blast at the ship, Snotlout happily letting out a victory cry.

"Woohoohoohoo!"

Unfortunately, Hookfang's blast came a little too close to Toothless's tail and the dragon's tailfin caught aflame, Toothless roaring in alarm, holding his tail up with wide eyes as the wires and frame burned up.

"Augh, oh no no no no, Toothless!" Hiccup cried and rushed over, frowning at the now burned away tailfin, raising his head to glare at the now flying past Hookfang.

"Snotlout!" He shouted, green eyes narrowed.

This time, Snotlout heard and turned to look back. "What?!"

Hiccup was about to answer but more Hunters came running towards them on the deck and he turned to fight them off, balling his fists, Toothless growling.

Snotlout snorted when Hiccup didn't answer and just turned away, flying off with Hookfang.

Astrid came to help Hiccup with the others, Heather joining them.

Fishlegs and the twins were taking out the rest of the ships, or they were trying to. Snotlout kept getting in their way and throwing them off balance, nearly getting all of them shot down by Dragon Root arrows, earning plenty of angry shouts from his friends.

The Jorgenson didn't even notice, too busy yelling "Snotlout, Snotlout, oi oi oi!"

Astrid and Heather finished off the last of the Hunters and Hiccup freed the last dragon from its cage, letting out a breath. "Okay, that should be all of them. Come on, let's get outta here."

He jogged over to Toothless as the girls mounted their dragons before Hiccup remembered as he came up to his dragon, eyebrows furrowing. "Oh yeah." He replied dryly.

Toothless snorted with a rumble, watching Hiccup go to his saddle-bag with a sigh. "Yeah, guess we'll havta use the spare, bud."

He got out the spare tail-fin he had packed for Toothless and went to Toothless's tail, applying it, muttering lowly to himself.

When he got into the air, he started giving directions, avoiding looking at Snotlout. "Okay guys, back to the Edge! Straight away!"

He took off, the others turning and following close behind. Snotlout grinned and laughed heartily to himself. "Ha ha ha, was that a good battle or what?!"

Hiccup restrained himself from starting to yell while they were in the air and the others too kept quiet, eyebrows furrowed.

The rest of the flight was silent, until they arrived at the Edge, the dragons landing.

Meatlug was the only one who had been shot with dragon root arrows but the others had came way too close to being hit, thanks to Snot-Fang.

Snotlout dismounted off his dragon's neck with a big, wide grin, chest puffed out. "Another successful battle and it's all thanks to Snotlout! Ha ha!"

Hiccup's fist clenched and his eyes narrowed, marching straight over to Snotlout, accusingly pointing a finger. "What do you think you were doing out there?!"

Snotlout's grin fell and he blinked, putting his hands up in surrender momentarily, glancing away once. "Uhhh, taking care of those Hunters for you guys, what else?" He shrugged, smirking.

"No Snotlout, that is not what you were doing," Hiccup frustratedly gestured with his hands. "What you were doing up there was nearly getting your teammates killed."

"What?"

"Taking on the Hunters by yourself was not a part of the drill first of all and it was your recklessness that nearly got us all killed!" Hiccup was shouting now.

"Ooh, the drama's unfolding….." Ruffnut sing-songed lowly into her brother's ear, the twins watching anxiously, holding back their grins.

Snotlout's eyebrows furrowed at Hiccup, shaking his head a little. "Hiccup, what are you talking about? I saved us because I was covering for everyone! You know Hookfang and I are the best fighters!"

"Snotlout, if you only rely on yourself and not your teammates, it's not only going to get you in trouble, but our entire team as well! How does that not make sense to you?!" Hiccup glared.

"Because there's nothing to make sense of! I wasn't doing anything wrong!" Snotlout snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Not doing anything wrong, not doing anything wrong, okay, well, what do you call knocking Astrid out into the sky, Snotlout?! And blocking people's shots, not to even mention Toothless's tail!"

Snotlout scowled a little, shaking his head. "Okay so maybe Hookfang and I did get a little carried away but what's the big deal, Hiccup? We're fine! Quit being a baby."

Hiccup's eyes flashed with anger. "Oh I'm the baby?! You're the one ALWAYS messing up, Snotlout! I am sick and tired of having to tell you the same thing over and over again! We're a team! It's not just about you! The past four years you've thought it's always about you but it isn't Snotlout!"

"Hey, it is about me, Hiccup!" Snotlout was shouting back. "I'm going to be the leader of the Dragon Riders soon, this is exactly how I should be leading them!"

"Leader? You think you're ready to become leader soon? You can barely handle being a rider!" Hiccup almost snapped. "You don't even follow my orders most of the time!"

"That's nothing, Hiccup! I know what I'm doing!"

"No you don't, Snotlout. You actually don't. Or you at least act like you don't. Which is why I have no choice but to suspend you from the Dragon Riders….. _again_."

"What?!" Snotlout gaped in horror, eyes widening.

"What?!" The others' jaws dropped too, eyes widening.

"Don't act so surprised, Snotlout," Hiccup said tiredly with a disappointed look. "With your behavior-"

"Hey, my behavior is great," Snotlout huffed, eyes going narrow. "I think it's you who has a problem with me." He sneered, pointing a finger at Hiccup's face. "Trying to kick me out of the Dragon Riders?! What is your problem, man?" He snorted.

"Snotlout, just stop!" Hiccup snapped. "Your behavior is out of control! You're irresponsible, you're over-eager, you're clumsy, you're always getting us into trouble and you frankly get on everyone's nerves, especially mine! I'm through with you! Until you can prove yourself, you're never going to be the leader of the Dragon Riders, Snotlout!"

At Hiccup's shouting, Snotlout took a step back, a look of fear and hurt flashing across his face as he gasped. It was like a stab at his heart.

At first he couldn't say anything, gulping hard, trying to speak, stumbling over his words. "B-But H-H-Hiccup!"

"No, I mean it Snotlout," Hiccup huffed with a frown, unable to recognize the pain on his friend's face. "I'm tired of putting up with you. You blew your chance. You're through."

Snotlout gaped, his chest suddenly tight, Hiccup's words replaying in his head, making his eyes flash.

" _You blew your chance._ " Something Spitelout had said to him right before he struck him in the face. He was fifteen and his father was angry because Snotlout wasn't at the top of his dragon-training class.

 _"How can ye keep letting me down?! That's all ye ever do son, is disappoint me!_ " A kick. Then a punch.

 _"You're embarrassing me, son! Sharpen up! Quit letting everyone down!"_ A yank on his hair.

 _"Why aren't you good enough?!"_ His father had screamed, socking him in the stomach.

Snotlout swallowed hard, frowning deeply as he stood there beside all of his friends, his anxiety rising rapidly, suddenly ashamed and almost guilt-ridden.

 _Kicked out of the Dragon Riders again? No!_ That eliminated his purpose, his life, what would he do, where would he go, what would happen to him and Hookfang? And more importantly, what would his father think?

Beside him, Hookfang looked at Hiccup with big eyes, keeping his snout close to his Rider, a quiet reminder that he was there to defend him.

"I'm sorry, Snotlout." Hiccup started again with a softer tone, but still serious. "You just…..need to improve yourself, for the good of all of us."

"Hiccup, you can't be serious." Snotlout lifted his head a little when he heard Astrid speak, mouth a little 'o' in surprise, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, Hiccup, take it easy," Fishlegs spoke too.

Snotlout watched as Hiccup turned toward them. "What now?"

"Hiccup, I know you're upset but you know you can't kick Snotlout out." Astrid spoke softly.

"Astrid's right," Heather nodded. "He's one of us. We need him."

Snotlout watched them with a frown, them talking about him as if he wasn't standing right there.

"And Heather's right. We do need Snotlout. He's great in battle and knows what he's doing…..most of the time." Fishlegs shrugged, glancing at Snotlout. "Besides, if you kick him out now, we can't be down a rider. Viggo and Ryker are out there."

Hiccup was frowning at his friends, eyes narrowed. "Why are you defending him?! Have you all forgotten the trouble he's put us through?"

Snotlout swallowed hard, wondering if he should walk away to avoid the awkwardness.

"Hiccup," Astrid started softly. "He's our friend. You can't kick him out again, that'll only put a huge dent in our group." She looked at him sincerely.

"No. I mean it guys, we need to be better than this." Hiccup insisted, turning back to Snotlout.

"Snotlout, you should go now."

Snotlout bit his lip, eyes big. "H-Hiccup, i-I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"Just go."

Snotlout frowned deeply and looked from Hiccup's angry face to his friends, slowly backing away, ashamed and humiliated.

This was it. His life was officially over. He couldn't be a Dragon Rider anymore.

Trying to hide his embarrassment, he went to Hookfang, climbing onto his saddle, avoiding looking at his friends as they took off. Hookfang let out a soft warble as an attempt to comfort him but Snotlout didn't answer, hanging his head down, too discouraged.

On the Edge, Astrid frowned at Hiccup as he walked past her. "Hiccup. That was not a wise thing to do."

Hiccup stopped and looked at her, glaring. "It had to be done, Astrid. Before someone got seriously hurt. How can you not understand that?"

He then walked off and the Riders glanced at each other with a frown.

"So….no more Snotlout?" Tuffnut questioned lowly.

"Guess not." Ruff added.

Astrid sighed a little, arms crossed. "We'll get him back, don't worry."

* * *

Fishlegs, Heather and Astrid met up with Hiccup later, at the clubhouse. Astrid was the first to speak.

"Hiccup, you didn't have to be so harsh back there."

Hiccup turned, frowning that this was what they wanted to speak about. "Astrid, you know I had to. It was just finally that time to say enough."

"But Snotlout is our friend. Like it or not, he's one of us."

"Yeah. Without Snotlout we're a broken team. We need him and Hookfang with us." Heather swallowed with a nod.

"Hiccup, you know how much it means to Snotlout to be with us. You can't just take that away from him." Astrid frowned.

"How can you guys all be defending him? Even if he is our friend, I can't risk him getting us all killed." Hiccup stated with a more softer tone.

"But you didn't need to crush his dream of becoming leader of the Dragon Riders. You know that's what he's always wanted."

"Yeah, he looked pretty upset when you told him." Fishlegs frowned.

"Well he should have." Hiccup frowned. "I mean it, he's nowhere near ready."

Astrid's soft eyes looked at him sincerely. "Hiccup, we know how hard it is to work with Snotlout, believe me, we've all been there, but being his friend, we still have to encourage and support him. I think you better apologize."

"Apologize? What do I even need to apologize for?" Hiccup shook his head.

"Even if Snotlout messes up, we still have to be there for him. Hiccup we've all known each other for years, we have to be there for each other. And right now, Snotlout needs us to be there for him. And once he knows that than he'll be there for us."

Hiccup was frowning and eventually he sighed. "I-I was pretty harsh on him, wasn't I?"

"Just a little….." Fishlegs rocked on his toes.

Hiccup sighed again, now guilty that he had been so unforgiving to his friend. "You guys are right. As boar-headed as he is, we do still need him. And he will be a great leader someday. I just wish he could work on his skills in the time being."

Astrid smiled faintly, eyeing him. "Tell Snotlout that, not us. He'll understand."

The corners of Hiccup's lips perked up a little in a soft smile, giving a nod.

* * *

Hiccup found Snotlout at the far side of the Edge at a small river, with Hookfang.

Toothless landed softly and Hiccup got off with a frown, eyeing his friend sitting down by the water, back to him.

It looked like Hookfang's snout rested in his lap and he was gently petting his scales, keeping quiet.

Hiccup frowned, knowing Snotlout was really upset without even having to look at his face.

Quietly and slowly, he walked up behind his friend. "H-Hey Snotlout."

Snotlout jumped, getting to his feet as Hookfang pulled his snout away. "Hiccup! Oh Thor! Don't scare me like that!" He turned to face Hiccup, frowning, his body language quickly shifting from being scared to being hostile.

"What are you doing here anyways? Come to remind me how much of a disappointment I am?" He gruffed with a frown.

"No Snotlout." Hiccup started softly. "I came to apologize, actually."

"Apologize? To me?" Snotlout raised a brow, not expecting this. "As in, to my face? But I thought that-"

"I was wrong, Snotlout. I was angry, I didn't mean what I said. Well, most of it I did but I was still wrong to yell at you." Hiccup stated sincerely, watching his friend.

"So, what are you saying?" Snotlout asked carefully.

"I'm saying that despite your lunatic behavior," He shook his head a little. "You are still one of us and we need you to be a part of our team. And not to mention the last time you got kicked out you nearly got killed."

Snotlout managed to quirk a smile, glancing away sheepishly, than back to Hiccup.

"And also, that you are going to be a great leader of the Dragon Riders someday. Everyone, including me can see that." He smiled softly at Snotlout, who perked up happily.

"You-you really mean that, Hiccup? You think I can actually do it?"

"Yes Snotlout. With some practice of course, but yes. And I know you'll be great. I can't wait to see you in action."

Snotlout's spirits were lifted, completely forgetting all about the previous argument, pumping his fists. "Awww man, did you hear that Hooky?! I'm going to be the leader of the Dragon Riders! And Hiccup thinks I'll actually be good at it!" He laughed heartily, almost wanting to hug Hiccup he was so relieved.

Beside him, Hookfang smiled and let out a happy roar, watching his rider smile and boast with pride.

"Oh thank you Hiccup, thank you!" Snotlout shook Hiccup's hand rapidly. "I am not going to let you down! And I promise I'll do better with the others. I realize that is something I need to work on." He said, being honest.

Hiccup nodded, smiling at him. "Thank you Snotlout. You'll do great, I trust that. Sorry I yelled earlier."

Snotlout shrugged it off, grinning. "Ah, I knew you were just messing with me the whole time. I wasn't actually worried or anything."

Hiccup chuckled a little. "Just remember, don't let all that power go to your head, Snotlout."

Snotlout snorted a little, smirking. "Heh heh. We'll see."

Hiccup smirked and just rolled his eyes in response.


	5. Are You Willing To Risk Your Own Son?

**A/N: My Own Story mostly involving Snotlout-Whump. Takes place during RTTE.**

 **Are You Willing to Risk Your Own Son?**

"So then I said, that's not just a yak, that's me mum!" Spitelout laughed at his own joke, guffawing loudly.

Snotlout joined in with laughter. "Good one, dad, good one!"

"Ah, we should do this more often, boy-o." Spitelout glanced at his son with a smile, Kingstail flapping his wings. "It feels great to finally have some father-son time with our dragons."

Snotlout smiled back, petting the top of Hookfang's head. "Yeah Dad, I agree. Hooky and I love fishing, although we normally don't catch anything because _someone_ likes to splash in the water." He glared playfully at the back of his dragon's head, who only snorted with a huff.

Spitelout raised a brow at them. "Well son, the only splashing in the water we'll be doin' is castin' our lines out! Promised yer mother we'd bring lots of fish back home for supper."

"Well dad, Hookfang can't make any promises, so we'll see." Snotlout shrugged.

Spitelout looked down as they flew through the clouds, taking in a breath of fresh air. "Aye, it's a perfect day for fishin'. Good day to get away from Berk too. Stoick's been orderin' me around like mad. It'll be nice to have a break for once."

Snotlout laughed a little. "Oh I know exactly what you mean, Dad. Hiccup can be soooo bossy." He over-exaggerated.

"There. That island looks good." Spitelout pointed to the island down below. "Come on, Kingstail."

Kingstail squawked and descended, Hookfang following. The dragons landed in the forest and the Jorgensons hopped down, Spitelout looking around for a lake or river to fish in.

Snotlout followed his father, as did the dragons, Hookfang, distracted, snatching an apple from a tree, chewing it, the juice slobbering down his chin.

Kingstail watched him, shaking his head, going back to watching Spitelout.

"Ah, here we go. Perfect place. Don't you think son?" Spitelout grinned when they walked up to the edge of a river.

"Yeah, dad, it's perfect!" Snotlout smirked, Hookfang walking up to take a look too.

"Okay, lemme just get the lines…." Spitelout clasped his hands together and started towards Kingstail, but Hookfang, with the mischievous look in his eyes, nudged Spitelout with his snout, pushing him into the water.

"Hookfang!" Snotlout growled when his dragon laughed.

"'Ey!" Spitelout sputtered when he resurfaced, eyes narrowed with a scowl.

Kingstail growled at Hookfang with narrowed eyes and huffed, pushing Snotlout into the water as well with his tail, the boy crying out and spitting out water when he popped up. "'Ey, no fair!"

This time, Spitelout laughed, splashing a wave at his son as they stood there in the water, chuckling.

Snotlout flinched a little from the splash but then perked up, splashing back, the two laughing.

Kingstail and Hookfang looked at each other and then their riders, deciding it was alright to join in themselves, dashing into the water to play.

Spitelout had scooped up Snotlout onto his shoulders with a laugh and then threw him back into the water, Snotlout flailing a minute, but he was laughing too.

Unbeknownst to the Vikings and the Dragons, they were being watched from nearby.

"Hmmmm," One of the Hunter's eyes flickered from the bushes. "We need to tell Viggo."

They darted off to inform their leader, entering his tent. "Sir, there's dragon riders here!"

Viggo glanced at his brother, then the hunter. "How many?"

"Two of 'em, down by the river! One of 'em is the short and loud one."

Viggo instantly knew. _Snotlout_. "And the other one?"

"We're not sure. Looks like he could be the boy's father." The Hunter informed them.

Viggo's eyebrows raised in surprise. He thought for a minute. "Are they the only ones?"

"They've got their dragons with 'em, but nobody else."

"Hmmmm….." Viggo thought, a finger to his chin.

"What are you thinking, brother?" Ryker watched him, seeing a plan form in Viggo's mind.

The corners of Viggo's mouth were quirking into a smile, eyes narrowed. "Gather the men. Let's move out."

* * *

"Woah, aye! Kingstail! Easy lad!" Spitelout shouted as his dragon tossed him playfully into the water, bobbing back to the surface.

Snotlout watched and laughed at his father, pointing a finger. Then Hookfang did the same to him and suddenly Snotlout didn't think it was so funny anymore. "Hmmph! I thought we came here to fish!" He huffed, sending a glare at Hookfang.

Spitelout heard him and looked over, starting to wade out. "Aye, we did. Guess we should get to it then."

He walked out and Snotlout followed, Hookfang and Kingstail behind him.

"Well, nothin' like a good swim an' a little fishin', aye son?" Spitelout chirped as Kingstail came over, opening his saddle-bag.

"Sure Dad, of course!" Snotlout replied, wringing out his hair.

"So it is the boy's father…..Interesting." Viggo mused to himself quietly from the bushes, watching. Beside him, Ryker sat impatiently.

"What are we waiting for?" He hissed. "Let's get 'em!"

"On my command, brother." Viggo stated calmly. "We don't want to blow my perfectly new plan."

As Spitelout tossed his son his pole, Kingstail sniffed the air, eyes narrowing. "Rrawk!" He stiffened in alarm, spikes raising on his tail, nudging Hookfang with his snout.

Hookfang got the memo and raised his snout, eyes narrowed, emitting a low, warning growl.

Snotlout saw this and frowned. "Hooky? What's the matter?"

Suddenly, he saw a Hunter near some bushes, shooting an arrow near them, a bunch more emerging.

"Dragon Hunters!" Snotlout gasped, dropping his pole, fists balling.

Several hunters lept out of the bushes and started towards them, yelling out, axes and swords in hand, others with bow and arrows.

Spitelout's eyes narrowed and he growled, grabbing his axe, slashing the first Hunter that came near him.

Kingstail shot his spikes at others and Hookfang smacked away a Hunter trying to attack Snotlout, firing a blast at some others.

Suddenly an arrow struck Kingstail and he squawked in alarm, thrashing his head around, toppling to the ground.

"Kingstail!" Spitelout cried out, then angrily snarled, throwing his axe at the Hunters, taking on four of them, bashing and punching them away.

Snotlout punched his own Hunter aside, gasping when he saw Hookfang get shot with an arrow too. "Hookfang, no!"

Hookfang roared in distress and thrashed his head, eyes wide as he tried to stay upright to protect Snotlout, lighting himself aflame before he toppled over, his flames going out helplessly.

Snotlout gaped, looking between his dragon and the Hunters that were running towards him, gulping, balling his fists as he stood protectively in front of Hookfang.

Viggo and Ryker watched from the bushes, Ryker snickering. "They're completely outnumbered, let's grab 'em now!"

"No." Came Viggo's simple reply. He was watching Spitelout, who's fist struck Hunters in the face as they charged towards them, yelling out as he easily took them on.

Then Viggo smiled.

"Get Snotlout. Bring him to me." He ordered his brother, who looked surprised at first, but then didn't hesitate to follow his orders, dashing out of the bushes to join the fight.

"Gah!" Snotlout yelled as he socked a Hunter in the face, his knuckles bruising as he punched another. "Stupid Dragon Hunters!" He growled as another tried to grab him, elbowing him hard, then kicking him away.

He had no idea how his dad was doing, he couldn't see him, but Snotlout was now only focused on not getting killed, blocking a Hunter's sword with his helmet, flinching from the loud clang, regaining himself as he punched the Hunter away, putting his helmet back on with a huff.

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around his throat from behind and Snotlout yelped in surprise when his back pressed up against someone's stomach, the figure forcefully holding him against his chest, practically lifting Snotlout's feet off the ground.

Snotlout kicked and growled, attempting to squirm, the arm choking him, straining his breathing.

He opened his mouth to scream but a hand clamped down over his mouth, squeezing his face.

Starting to panic, wide-eyed, he cried out, squirming as he tried to pry the arm off his throat. "Mmmph! Mmmph!"

He barely even realized he was being dragged off before he could no longer see Hookfang, still trying to breathe, the arm still choking him, thrashing around as he screamed. "Mmmmm!"

Whoever held him was strong and didn't loosen his grip, continuing to squeeze his hand at Snotlout's face, muffling his cries as he got dragged back into the bushes.

"Mmmm! Mmmph!" Snotlout screamed, thrashing his head and kicking, unable to get free from the man's grip, still barely able to touch the ground, weakly scratching at the man's arm.

Suddenly, Viggo was in front of him and Snotlout had to do a double-take, stiffening.

The hand over his mouth suddenly pulled away and Snotlout gasped for air, eyes narrowing at Viggo. "You!"

"Well hello, Snotlout. So good to see you again." Viggo smirked calmly down at the boy, watching him struggle.

Snotlout growled at them and thrashed his arms around, jerking. "Let go of me!"

"Tell me, Snotlout, what is your father's name?" Viggo's eyes flickered with glee.

"What?!" Snotlout jerked around furiously, struggling as he glared up at Viggo, when suddenly Ryker's hand was gripping his throat, throwing him up against a tree, squeezing his throat hard.

Snotlout cried out and immediately coughed and whimpered, choking, eyes welling with tears when he couldn't breathe, prying helplessly at Ryker's hand.

"Viggo asked you a question! Answer it!" Ryker barked, watching Snotlout as he choked the daylights out of him.

Snotlout couldn't breathe and frightened whimpers escaped his mouth, terrified as he weakly pushed at Ryker's hand, the rest of his body shaking. Tears were threatening to fall and he continued to whimper, trying to speak.

"Sp-Sp-Spitelou-lout!" He coughed.

Viggo watched the boy with a smirk but nodded when he got his answer and Ryker dropped him, Snotlout collapsing to the ground helplessly on his stomach, coughing and gasping desperately for air, whimpering.

Viggo's eyes twinkled with a smirk, giving a nod to his brother. Ryker nodded back and snatched Snotlout's hair, yanking him up harshly, covering his mouth with a hand as Snotlout screamed in agony. Ryker wrapped his arm around the boy's throat again and Snotlout didn't dare move, muffled whimpers escaping his mouth. He was crying by now.

"Arrrgh! Is that all ye got?!" Spitelout shouted from the battle, swinging his battle axe at a nearby hunter, slashing open the man's arm. "Come on!"

Another snarled and knocked Spitelout down but Spitelout kicked and then knocked him down, hopping back to his feet to punch another aside effortlessly.

His green eyes flashed with anger and hate, punching another square in the nose, breaking it. "You hunters are nothing! Ye can't take me down!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." A new voice rang out and Spitelout's eyebrows furrowed, turning to see Viggo approaching nearby, hands clasped behind his back calmly.

Spitelout raised a brow. "Oh really. And you're going to stop me?" He stifled a chuckle.

"As a matter of fact, I am." Viggo smirked. "Unless of course you don't mind what I'm going to do with your son….."

Ryker than appeared, Snotlout in his grip, squirming weakly, whimpering into Ryker's hand, who held his sword up to Snotlout's throat with a dangerous smirk.

At the sight of Snotlout with Ryker, Spitelout froze and his eyes widened in horror, clenching his fists tight, eyebrows furrowing. "Let my son go! Or I'll-" He raised his axe with a snarl, eyes going murderous.

"Or you'll what? Risk your son getting killed at your expense?" Viggo smirked.

At this, Ryker pressed his sword up against Snotlout's throat, the blade cutting into his skin, blood beginning to trickle down his throat.

"Mmmmm!" Snotlout cried out, whimpering, looking at his father with huge eyes, trying not to cry, horribly scared, struggling weakly.

"No!" Spitelout cried as he watched, anger and fear flashing across his face, raising his axe again. "Let him go!"

Viggo chuckled as he watched, enjoying this. "Are you really willing to risk your son's life?"

"You wouldn't hurt him. Not if I can help it!" Spitelout snorted, his axe raised, grip tight.

"Really?"

Ryker pressed the blade harder against Snotlout's throat and Snotlout yelped as the cut stung with pain, more blood flowing down his neck.

"Mmmmmph mmmmm!" He screamed, beginning to cry again, whimpering at the pain.

"No! Snotlout!" His father cried out as he watched, fear flashing across his face, looking scared.

"I promise you we won't hurt the boy anymore, if you just drop your weapon and come with us." Viggo spoke, glancing at Snotlout who sniffled in Ryker's hold, whimpering faintly at the blade held to his neck.

Spitelout's teeth were clenched, wide-eyed, tense, not knowing what to do, eyes locked on his son who stood helpless against Ryker's chest. Locking eyes with his father's, Snotlout shook his head no, eyes wide with fear.

"Surrender Spitelout." Viggo commanded nearby and Spitelout let out a growl, shaking his head, dropping his axe to the ground, eyes narrowed in defeat.

A few nearby Hunters grabbed his arms with a huff, Viggo smirking in triumph.

"Mmmph!" Snotlout cried out when he saw his father surrender and he shook his head no and tried to struggle, but Ryker tightened his grip on him with a growl, making the boy stop.

Spitelout glared up at the Grimbornes. "Alright. Ye got me. Now let my son go."

Viggo held back a chuckle. "Oh see now that's not part of the deal, I'm afraid. You surrendered so now we get your son and your dragons."

Spitelout's eyes widened and he looked back to see Hunters were loading Kingstail and Hookfang into cages, the dragons helpless and unable to fight back, crying out softly.

Spitelout snarled, jerking at the men holding his arms. "Whatever you're planning, yer not going to get away with it." He growled angrily.

"We'll see." Viggo almost sing-songed and waved a hand, he and Ryker turning away to walk off to their ship, dragging Snotlout along with them.

Spitelout tensed with a growl as he could hear his son's muffled cries, snarling as he tugged and jerked at the Hunters but they held onto him tightly, soon dragging him off after Viggo and Ryker as well.

He snorted and growled in defeat, reluctantly walking with them, praying to the gods he and his son would get out safely.

* * *

"Mmmph mmmm!" Snotlout whimpered as Ryker dragged him along, trying to struggle against him, thrashing his head, kicking his legs uselessly, feet hanging off the ground.

"Quit yer struggling!" Ryker snapped with a growl. "You ain't goin' nowhere." He huffed as they walked aboard Viggo's ship.

Snotlout gulped and tried to look back at his father and Hookfang, but Ryker shoved him along, taking him below deck.

Under Ryker's smelly and beefy hand, Snotlout growled, continuing to struggle, wishing he was taller so his toes could at least touch the floor. "Mmmmph! Mmm mmmph!"

"Quiet!" Ryker snapped, squeezing tighter at Snotlout's face as he pushed him along, going to Viggo's room below deck.

Snotlout could hear his dad behind them, and their dragons too and he tried to look back at them but Ryker took him into Viggo's room and Viggo slammed the door shut, smirking.

Ryker took his hand off of Snotlout's mouth, finally, and gave him a rough shove, snorting.

Snotlout stumbled and rubbed at his neck but turned to glare at them both, snarling, anger rising. He raised his fist and started for Ryker. "Oh, I am going to kick your sorry-"

But Ryker's fist slamming into his stomach interrupted him and Snotlout yelped in pain, hunching over and clutching his stomach with a whimper, crying out. "Ow ow!"

Ryker glared and grabbed the back of Snotlout's tunic with a hand, dragging him over to a chair.

Snotlout gasped, still trying to get his breath back from getting punched, the air having been knocked out of him. "No no! Let go of me! Let go!"

Ryker growled lowly under his breath and shoved Snotlout into the chair, grabbing at the boy's arms before he could pull away, starting to tie him up.

Snotlout began to squirm, eyes narrowing in anger, jerking. "No! Let go of me, let go!" He shouted, glancing over at Viggo. "What are you going to do to us?!" He glared. "Let me go!"

Viggo held back his smirk as he watched Ryker tie Snotlout down to the chair, Ryker yanking the ropes tightly, making Snotlout flinch.

"Actually Snotlout, you should be more worried about what I'm going to do to you." He chuckled darkly and Snotlout frowned, gulping softly, suddenly uneasy.

He had momentarily forgotten he was their hostage and now he realized he was really in deep yak-dung.

"Oh I've got a great plan set up for you." Viggo continued, eyes flickering with pride. "Can't wait to enact it. Of course it all depends on how your father complies."

Snotlout frowned at this, flinching as Ryker yanked tightly on the ropes around his arms and chest as he tied them. "My father? You better not do anything to him!" He growled, tugging at the rope tied tightly around his wrists.

Viggo laughed. "Oh don't worry, Snotlout. I won't do anything to hurt your father. But you on the other hand, that's a different story."

Snotlout tensed and gulped again, frowning, wondering what awful plan Viggo had in store for him. Whatever it was, Snotlout knew he didn't like it.

Viggo saw the fear flash through Snotlout's eyes and smirked, looking at Ryker who stood when all the ropes were tied. "Well done, brother. Now gag him. I've got a certain Viking I have to speak with."

Snotlout's eyes widened and he flinched, frowning deeply as he tried to struggle against his ropes, trying to avoid getting shut up. "No no!"

But Ryker glared and roughly grabbed Snotlout's hair, holding him still, stuffing a cloth into Snotlout's mouth, who whimpered and cried out in fear, thrashing his head.

Ryker got another thick cloth and pushed it into Snotlout's mouth, tying it around the boy's head so it would keep the other cloth in place, both already muffling Snotlout's whimpers.

"Mmmph mmmph!"

He tried not to bite down but Ryker came in front of him and pushed the cloth between his teeth so it was tighter and Snotlout cried out as he was forced to bite down, hating the taste.

He glared up at Ryker and Viggo and whimpered, trying to talk, struggling against his ropes. "Mmmmm! Mmmmph! Mmm!"

Ryker and Viggo paid him no mind and stepped out, leaving Snotlout alone when they closed the door loudly.

Eyes wide, frightened, he looked around him and jerked in the chair, crying out through the cloths. "Mmmph mmmph!" He wanted Hookfang. He wanted his father. He even wanted his mother.

He sniffled a little as he tried to adjust his jaw, the cloths tasting awful, hurting him and the second cloth had managed to slide into the gap between his teeth where his tooth was missing, rubbing up against his gums, making him shudder at the feeling.

He couldn't get free of the ropes and Snotlout held back tears as he whimpered lowly, hanging his head, trying to convince himself it was going to be okay, but even he knew that it probably wasn't going to be.

Down the hall, Spitelout growled when he saw Viggo and Ryker approaching him, cursing them out under his breath. He had been tossed into a cell and he was beyond furious at this point.

"Where is my son?" He demanded instantly, letting them know that he was serious.

"Relax, Spitelout, your son is in good hands." Viggo smirked softly, eyeing Spitelout over.

Spitelout snarled at the cheerfulness in Viggo's voice, lashing a fist out through the bars of his cell, snatching Viggo by his tunic, bringing him close. "Don't mess around with me. Where is my son?!" He screamed.

"Hey!" Ryker growled and pulled Viggo out of Spitelout's grip. "That'll be enough of that! Or you won't get to see your son again for sure."

Spitelout growled at them with hate, unable to let himself calm down, not answering.

Viggo brushed himself off, regaining himself. "Now now, Ryker, it's quite alright. The man has every right to be protective. He will see his son again, alive and well, but only if he can give me the information I need."

Spitelout snorted, crossing his arms, eyes narrowed into slits. "I'll never talk." He spat. "And you can't make me."

Viggo's brow raised. "Hmmm. Well, we'll just have to test this theory then, won't we brother?" He glanced at Ryker, who snorted with a grin, the two turning to walk off.

"Where are you going?" Spitelout snarled after them, gripping the bars of his cell. "You better not lay a finger on my son!"

He didn't get an answer however, only the sound of a door slamming shut.

Snotlout looked up as the Grimbornes walked in, eyes narrowing at them as he continued to struggle and pull at the ropes. "Mmm mmm mmm!" He growled.

Viggo came in and sat down, that sly look on his face. "You know what to do, brother. Untie him."

Snotlout perked up when he heard that, watching Ryker come over to him expectantly, thinking he was being set free as Ryker started undoing some of the ropes.

He allowed himself to relax now, waiting to be untied, shooting Ryker a mean look as the man started taking away his gags.

Snotlout spat out the cloths with a huff and hopped to his feet when he was untied, raising his fists. "Alright, I'm outta here!"

Viggo, remained quiet from his chair, watching.

Snotlout started for the door with a smirk when Ryker grabbed him by his tunic and threw him against the wall.

"Hey!" Snotlout cried and flinched, ducking when Ryker swung at him. "Whoa hey! Easy pal!"

But Ryker's fist slammed into his stomach again and Snotlout gasped with pain, hunching over, seeing stars, crying out when Ryker knocked him down to the floor.

Looking up, dazed, Snotlout gasped as a fist came straight at him and the rest was just a blur.

* * *

Viggo watched closely as his brother's fist collided into Snotlout's stomach, knocking him down, kicking harshly at him. The boy screamed and curled into a ball helplessly, crying out, not making an effort to get up and defend himself.

Watching, Viggo sat and listened, not flinching when the boy screamed with pain.

"No! No! Stop, stop!" Snotlout screamed as Ryker threw him up against the wall then got punched to the floor, blocking his face with his hands as he curled into a ball. "No! Please! I-I'll be good, I'll be good, I swear!"

A yelp as Ryker kicked him in the face. Then a whimper. Next a sob. "Please don't hurt me anymore, please! I'm sorry!"

Watching Snotlout curled up helplessly on the floor, Viggo's eyebrows slowly furrowed as he listened, the boy pleading and crying, but not getting up. He could see Snotlout visibly shaking and by now, his face was bleeding.

It became clear to Viggo now as he sat there listening; Snotlout had clearly been abused like this before, possibly for years and just look at what it's done to him now.

"Please don't hurt me, please! I'm sorry! Stop!" Snotlout choked out through his tears as he got pummeled, yelping when Ryker threw him into the wall, falling straight to the floor with a thud, trembling. "I'm sorry…." He whimpered again.

Viggo had a pretty good assumption of who did this to the boy and his eyes flickered with a smirk, almost with pleasure as he realized the cruel irony of the situation.

He held up a hand as Ryker raised his fist. "That's enough now, brother. That'll do."

Snotlout laid curled into himself, crying into his hands, bruised and hurting all over, whimpering in pain, shaking. Replays of when his father beat him flashed throughout his mind repeatedly and all he could hear was Spitelout's yelling, unable to pay attention to anything else in the room but himself.

 _"Sharpen up, boy-o!"_

 _"Yer a Jorgenson, son, so start actin' like it!"_

 _"Yer not my son! Yer jus' a screw-up!"_

Snotlout shuddered, crying, trembling all over, the pain stinging him.

Beside them, Viggo was giving orders to Ryker, but Snotlout couldn't hear them. "Tie him up again. That'll give his old man somethin' to talk about."

Ryker nodded and went over to the heap of a boy on the floor, grabbing his arms. Snotlout flinched and cried out softly, whimpering as Ryker pushed him to his stomach, feeling his hands getting tied behind him, making him sniffle.

He didn't bother to struggle, shaking, eyes squeezed shut as he tried to block his father's screaming shouts from his memory, shaking his head no.

 _"Ye can't be a chief acting like that! Toughen up and be a man already!"_

Snotlout whimpered, gasping softly when he felt someone flip him back to his side, opening his eyes with a whimper at the rough touch.

A hand gripped his chin and Snotlout let out a cry of defeat as Ryker stuffed a wad of cloth between his teeth roughly and then another, tying the gags into place. Snotlout sniffled and bit down, flinching when he got picked up and hoisted to his feet, an arm going around his throat, starting to bring him out the door.

He whimpered lowly, looking around with big eyes, scared, biting tightly on the cloths, the weird feeling of the cloth rubbing against his gums at the gap in his teeth bothering him again.

He was pushed out of the door and down the hall, Viggo beside them, walking until they got to the cells. Snotlout couldn't really see straight and he felt uneasy, his head smarting from the pain, stumbling over his feet, legs wobbling.

Ryker snorted and raised his arm, holding Snotlout off the ground higher to keep him from tripping. The boy was small, stocky yes, but still too easy to grab onto and pick up.

Snotlout frowned and almost let out a groan of pain when he suddenly heard his dad cry out, making him perk up.

"Snotlout!" Spitelout cried out when he saw his son, eyes widening when he saw him banged up and bloody, the boy looking terrible.

He didn't look as bad off as the times when Spitelout himself had beat him, but seeing his son beaten up from somebody else hurting him, that scared him.

Seeing his son also tied up and gagged also frightened Spitelout, who gripped the bars of his cell tightly, wanting to break through them and get to Snotlout. "What did you do to him?!" He shouted, shooting daggers at Ryker and Viggo.

At the sight of his father, Snotlout perked up and tried to pull away to get to him, but Ryker suddenly grabbed him by the back of his tunic with a fist, hoisting him up into the air, being held out as if he were a toy, Ryker trying to taunt Spitelout with his son with a chuckle.

"Mmmph!" Snotlout whimpered, dangling in the air, pulling at his wrists, looking desperately at his father to help him, wriggling.

"Son!" Spitelout cried out and tried to reach for him but he was too far away.

"Well Spitelout, ready to give me what I want?" Viggo smirked, watching as he came up to them.

Spitelout's eyes went narrow. "Why don't you give me what I want?! Let my son go!"

"Nobody is letting anybody go until I get my answers." Viggo stated, a little more firmly. "Now do you want your son back or not?"

Spitelout's eyes were narrowed into slits, still trying to reach his son who continued to dangle in Ryker's grip. "I'm getting him back! Now give him to me!"

Viggo held back a growl and sent a nod towards Ryker, who sneered and threw Snotlout at Spitelout's cell, Snotlout's back hitting the bars painfully, crying out in pain as he slid to the floor.

Spitelout gaped and bent down to his level, gently grabbing his son's shoulder and chin, relieved to even be holding him again, Snotlout whimpering.

Spitelout held him and reached to take out his gag but then Ryker snatched Snotlout by his hair, ripping him away.

Snotlout screamed in pain, feeling his hair being ripped out of his scalp. "MMMMMM!"

"No! Don't hurt him!" Spitelout cried out, reaching again for his son, who only a second ago had been in his hands, wanting to get him back desperately.

Ryker threw Snotlout to his knees and unsheathed his sword, pointing it at Snotlout's throat, who flinched with a yelp.

"Then tell me what I want and we won't have to." Viggo almost snapped, watching Spitelout.

Spitelout's mouth was open, almost whimpering with fear, eyes locked on his son, horrified to see him getting so abused. He could hear Snotlout whimpering through his gag, a sound that crushed his heart, ringing in his ears.

"What is it you want?" He finally asked, daring to look at Viggo, swallowing hard.

Viggo perked up, managing to smirk. "Tell me Spitelout, do you happen to know the location of one Dragon's Edge?"

Spitelout's eyes narrowed, stiffened. "Possibly."

"Either you do or you don't." Ryker growled, bringing his sword closer to Snotlout's throat, who trembled, whimpering, looking at his father with big, scared eyes.

Spitelout glowered, hating every second of this. "Don't you dare touch him. And yes, I do." His eyes went back to Viggo, darkly narrowed.

Viggo listened intently with a smirk, intrigued. "So you must know the Dragon Riders, then, correct?"

"What's it to you?" Spitelout snapped.

Ryker growled and grabbed Snotlout's hair with a huff, yanking harshly.

"Mmmmmphhh!" The boy screamed in pain, a few tears falling.

Spitelout stiffened and reached out again, eyes flashing. "Okay, okay, yes I do, I do!"

"Good." Ryker huffed, dropping Snotlout's hair, who sniffled sadly, frowning deeply as he listened with big eyes.

"Well. I'm very glad to hear that, Spitelout." Viggo smiled, talking calmly. "Now I just need you to promise me that you'll help me take down these Riders once and for all and maybe I won't have to kill your son after all."

From the floor, Snotlout let out a frightened whimper, shaking his head no, looking over at his father, who clenched his fists tightly.

"I will never help you take down those kids, no way in Valhalla." He growled.

Ryker snarled and lifted his sword, pointing it at Snotlout's chest as if he were going to stab him, making Snotlout cry out in fear, shaking his head no hurriedly with a scream.

"No, no, don't!" Spitelout cried out, wide-eyed. "I-I-I'll do it, jus' don't hurt him!"

Ryker huffed and took the sword away, holding back his smirk. Snotlout's eyes went wide at his father, frowning deeply with fear at the thought of his friends in danger.

Viggo watched Spitelout closely. "You promise to do this with us? Because if you don't or if you screw this up, I will kill your son." He warned with a dark tone, eyes narrowed.

From the ground, Snotlout held back his whimpers and shook his head no at his father, not wanting his friends to be get hurt or even killed, not wanting them in danger.

Spitelout watched his son shake his head no with big, terrified eyes, his heart burning with the desire to hurry over to him and scoop him up safely into his arms where nobody else could hurt him.

But he couldn't.

Gritting his teeth, Spitelout's fists were clenched. "I'll do it." He stated firmly, though he knew he was going to regret this. "But only if you don't hurt my son."

Viggo smirked to himself happily and gave a nod, internally pleased, glad his plan was working.

From the floor, Snotlout began to whimper, pulling weakly at his wrists, looking around at them, trying to speak, the gags muffling him. He didn't want his friends in any danger and he was not about to let any of them get hurt.

He started to get to his feet in hopes of getting to his father but Ryker grabbed him before he could walk off, sneering at him.

"Mmmmph!" Snotlout growled, jerking around.

Viggo and Spitelout watched them, Viggo looking back at Spitelout with a smirk. "We'll inform you of the plan in due time. We're sailing towards the Edge as we speak so you'll have your chance soon enough." He started to walk off, back towards his room.

"Wait, give me my son, let him go!" Spitelout growled, reaching his hand out, eyes wide.

Viggo chuckled a little at him, shaking his head. "Not quite the brightest man, is he?" He mused to himself, walking off.

Ryker started to follow, dragging Snotlout off with him. Snotlout whimpered and pulled against him, looking back at his father, crying out, struggling to pull free.

"Snotlout!" Spitelout reached out for him, watching fearfully, wanting him back.

"Come on!" Ryker snapped and yanked Snotlout back, pushing him along until they got to Viggo's room.

"Mmmm mmmm!" Snotlout cried out and that was the last Spitelout heard of his son before the door slammed shut, the atmosphere going silent.

From his cell, Spitelout sucked in a shaky breath, trying to compose himself, worry over-coming him. For once in his life, he was scared, something he rarely felt, and this time, he didn't know if they were going to get out of this one.

Ryker shoved a whimpering Snotlout back into the chair with a scowl, not at all one bit sympathetic, though he was getting very annoyed at listening to Snotlout's constant whimpering.

"Mmmph! Mmmm!" Snotlout tugged at the ropes desperately, jerking his arms around, looking at Viggo and Ryker with scared eyes, a few tears leaking from his eyes.

Ryker growled at him and punched him angrily with a snarl, Snotlout yelping in pain, trembling as he watched them turn and walk out, the door slamming shut loudly.

Flinching, he whimpered and sniffled, crying, pulling and twisting his arms in hopes to get free but it was no use.

Biting down tightly on the cloths in his mouth, Snotlout let out a cry of defeat when he knew it was pointless to keep trying, lying his head down on Viggo's desk, squeezing his eyes shut tightly as he cried.

He hoped the Grimbornes weren't out there hurting Spitelout or Hookfang or even Kingstail and he continued to cry as he felt the ship's movement of sailing along the water, knowing they were on the way to take down his friends.

Exhausted and in pain, Snotlout breathed heavily through his nose, softly whimpering as he knew he had let everyone down, including his father. Including Hookfang.

Miserable, he sat there, his head lying on the desk, not bothering to struggle now, too discouraged and weak, sniffling as he pried uselessly at the gags with his tongue, hoping to get them out.

 _I'm sorry Dad. I'm sorry Hooky. I'm sorry Hiccup. I'm sorry Mom. Looks like I won't get to see you again anytime soon. I'm so sorry….._

Another tear ran down Snotlout's cheek. He had officially given up.

 **To Be Continued...**


	6. Willing to Risk Your Own Son? Part 2

**A/N: This chap. includes graphic child abuse just as a warning...**

 **Part 2**

Viggo returned after a long while, opening the door and looking curiously at Snotlout as he entered. The boy had his face lying on the desk in front of him and he opened his eyes sadly to look up, but he didn't move.

Viggo slowly closed the door behind him, eyeing his captive.

The boy looked exhausted and miserable. His face had bruises everywhere, dried blood across his cheek, a black eye forming. He could hear him breathing tiredly through his nose, looking up at Viggo with those big blue eyes and Viggo could easily tell he had been crying.

Slowly Viggo came over to the desk and Snotlout only flinched a little, watching him. He expected the boy to lift his head and sit back but Snotlout remained still, his head only a few feet away from him.

Curiously, Viggo sat down and grabbed something out of his drawers, taking his eyes off the boy a minute.

Tiredly, Snotlout closed his eyes and let out a soft moan, exhausted and pained, unable to do anything else but lie there helplessly.

Viggo almost jumped at the noise and looked over, seeing the boy's eyes closed tightly, not moving. He could see some of Snotlout's teeth biting down on the cloths in his mouth, even able to see the gap in his teeth, which was no longer even a gap, biting down tightly.

Viggo almost cocked his head as he eyed him, slowly getting to his feet, getting up to circle Snotlout, watching him closely.

From the chair, Snotlout heard the movement and peeked open an eye, frowning deeply as he saw Viggo slowly walking around him, a wave of uneasiness washing over him as he could feel Viggo's brown eyes peering at him.

Letting out another muffled moan, Snotlout started to lift his head up, struggling, barely able to keep his eyes open, feeling as if he could fall unconscious at any minute, painfully lifting his head up to sit back in the chair, Viggo still circling him.

The Hunter eyed the blood on the back of Snotlout's neck from when Ryker had slammed his head against the wall, opening his mouth to speak.

"You know Snotlout, I didn't even know you had a father. Certainly not one that would care so much about you." He came back behind his desk, watching Snotlout's face, whose eyes quickly lowered to the floor, looking like he was about to cry again.

"You know my own son, back home, he's a lot like you." Snotlout slowly looked up, eyebrows furrowing a little at him. "He's confident, daring, bold, reacts poorly to punishments, and always looks so happy to see me when I come home. And that is how I know how much he really cares about me. My daughter too."

Snotlout swallowed hard and found himself looking back at the floor, frowning deeply as he tried not to cry thinking about his own father.

"Such loyalty, the bonds between father and son." Viggo smirked, slowly coming back over near Snotlout. "They can really make a difference."

And then Viggo surprised Snotlout. He bent down in front of him and carefully untied his gag, removing it. Snotlout perked up and unhinged his jaw wider as Viggo removed the second, letting out a soft grunt of relief to have them gone, readjusting his sore jaw that ached.

Viggo watched him. "So good to know you yourself have your own father who cares."

Snotlout blinked and frowned at him, tilting his head away slightly, tense. "H-He doesn't care." He spoke, his voice coming out as a croak, surprising him at how hoarse he sounded. "I'm practically nothing to him." He murmured with a frown.

Viggo's eyes almost twinkled. "Really? Well I don't seem to think so. Have you forgotten why you're here in the first place, all beat up and hurting….."

"No," Snotlout almost coughed, wincing as his stomach sent another wave of pain throughout him. "I have your brother to thank for that." He huffed with a glare.

Viggo chuckled softly, getting to his feet, looking amused. "Of course. Well, if your father doesn't care about you like he says he does, then how come my plan is working so well, hmmm?"

Snotlout's eyes narrowed and he glared at Viggo a long minute, not answering, looking away angrily.

"Precisely my point," Viggo mumbled under his breath with a smirk, loud enough for Snotlout to hear. "You should know Snotlout, I do admire you."

Snotlout raised his head in surprise, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "What? Why?"

"Because," Viggo started back towards him. "You are just making this too easy for me and I couldn't be more pleased." He grabbed a fistful of Snotlout's hair and jerked back.

"Ahhhh!" Snotlout screamed in pain, whimpering, his body going rigid as he shook fearfully.

Viggo continued to pull, watching with a smirk. "Hurts doesn't it?"

Snotlout winced, faint whimpers escaping his lips as he frowned deeply, wishing the pain would all just stop, his head throbbing.

Viggo finally let go of him with a smirk and Snotlout gasped in a breath, leaning forwards, trembling as he whimpered, avoiding letting Viggo see his eyes welled with tears.

Viggo smirked at the back of Snotlout's head, beginning to speak. "Pain. Such an admirable quality. You of all people know that best, don't you, Snotlout?" He grabbed Snotlout's hair again, but much gentler this time.

Snotlout gasped and a yelp escaped his lips, going rigid with fear at the touch alone, shaking.

Viggo, gripping Snotlout's hair gently, slowly pushed the boy's head back down onto the desk, smirking when Snotlout didn't dare move, but allowed him, lying his face down with heavy whimpers, Viggo's hand still at his hair.

Smirking, Viggo watched him. "Your father used to beat you, didn't he, Snotlout?"

Snotlout flinched and frowned deeply, squeezing his eyes shut tightly, trying not to cry, frightened that Viggo somehow knew this.

Viggo perked up. "It's quite alright. Though pain is something that can easily destroy you." Slowly, he began stroking the back of Snotlout's hair gently, scaring the boy even more, hearing him squeak.

"St-Stop!" He cried, flinching, trying to jerk his head away, yelping when Viggo grabbed another fistful of hair and yanked his head up, slamming it back down onto the desk harshly.

Snotlout began to cry, unable to hold it in much longer, too frightened and vulnerable, memories of Spitelout beating him pricking at his vision.

Viggo smiled, patting the boy's head twice softly, earning another yelp from the crying boy. "Sometimes, the best thing you can do, is to give in to the pain itself. Then it can no longer hurt you." He stated darkly, talking slowly and carefully so Snotlout could clearly hear.

At Viggo's words, Snotlout's eyes squeezed shut tighter, a horrified whimper escaping his quivering lips as envisions of his father replayed themselves as if Snotlout was right there with him.

 _"Snotlout! Why don't you ever listen to me?!"_

 _"Scared? Yer scared?! Toughen up! It's only a few punches from yer old man!"_

 _"Quit yer cryin'! I barely touched ya! Get to yer feet and take it like a man!"_

 _"Why can't you be the son I always wanted?! You should be tough, gnarly, not some loud-mouth cry-baby!"_

Tears ran down Snotlout's cheeks.

Sniveling, he heard Viggo's movement and blinked open his eyes, flinching when he saw Viggo bent down in front of him, holding a wad of cloth up to his mouth with a smirk. "You heard me. Give in. Now open."

Snotlout nearly gasped as another memory sparked through him, eyes flashing with fear.

 _"Daddy, stop!"_

 _"Hold still you little-" He grabbed his son's arms tightly as he tried to escape, fingernails digging deeply into Snotlout's skin, punching him hard, knocking his son back into the nearest wall._

 _Snotlout's sobbing filled the room as he crumbled down, the eight-year old curled up helplessly on the floor. "D-Daddy!"_

 _"Was it really that hard, son?! Really that hard to not try to be great at all?!" Spitelout boomed, snatching his son up by his shirt, slamming him up against the wall, watching the boy scream and kick._

 _"I-I-I'm sorry, Daddy!"_

 _Spitelout dropped him, the boy landing with a thud on the floor, scrambling to try and dart away, yelping when a foot collided into his back, kicking him down._

 _"St-stop!" Snotlout cried when Spitelout's foot stomped onto his chest, the boy weakly prying at it to get him off, gasping. "D-Daddy, Daddy, please stop!"_

 _"Daddy, Daddy," Spitelout mocked in a high-pitched voice. "Is that all ye can ever say?!"_

 _He kicked his son in the face, blood filling Snotlout's mouth, the boy's sobbing piercing his ear-drums._

 _"Quit yer cryin'! Tired of listenin' to you whine!"_

 _Snotlout lay helpless, shaking his head no, choking on a sob. "D-Daddy, pl-please!"_

 _Spitelout roared in anger and reached down, snatching a fistful of Snotlout's hair, ripping him off the ground._

 _The boy screamed in agony and terror, sobbing and crying out, helplessly squirming as Spitelout sat down into a chair, forcefully holding his flailing son in his lap._

 _"If ye ain't gonna stop cryin', imma make you stop cryin', son!" Spitelout shouted, pulling out a wad of cloth._

 _Snotlout sobbed, pulling uselessly at Spitelout's hand around his chest, thrashing to get away. "I-I want Mommy!" He sobbed._

 _"Yer Mommy ain't here!" Spitelout snapped angrily, tightening his grip on his son. "Now quit cryin'! I've been listenin' to ye cry for years, now open!" He jerked the cloth at Snotlout's mouth, going to gag him._

 _Snotlout flinched and kicked, scratching at Spitelout's hand with his tiny fingers, managing to scratch him and draw blood, terrified. "D-Daddy no! No!"_

 _Spitelout glared and grabbed his son by his hair, yanking back hard._

 _Snotlout screamed in pain and sobbed, weakly trying to reach back to get his father's hand off him. "No no! D-D-Do-Don't pull!" He begged._

 _"Well I'll quit pullin' if ye open yer damn mouth!" Spitelout snapped, giving another hard tug, jerking the cloth again at his son's lips._

 _Lip quivering, Snotlout shook his head no, sobbing, weakly squirming, flinching away. "N-No….!"_

 _"Come on, son!" Spitelout snarled and yanked on his son's hair again, fed up with the boy._

 _Snotlout screamed in pain and whimpered, crying as he could no longer fight the pain, reluctantly giving up._

 _Slowly, he opened his mouth for his father, squeezing his eyes shut tightly, continuing to cry._

 _Spitelout glared and forced the cloth into his son's mouth, firmly stuffing it between the boy's teeth._

 _Snotlout cried out at the gag, sobbing whimpers escaping his mouth, biting down, the thick cloth already muffling his crying. Spitelout huffed when he saw his son's teeth biting down, taking his hand off the boy's hair, slapping him hard across the face._

 _"That wasn't so hard now was it?" He snapped, picking his son up, throwing him down into the chair, getting some rope to tie him down._

 _Snotlout's lip quivered, whimpering out through his tears, desperately wishing his mom was home so she could come up and save him._

 _"Now ye are going to sit there and be quiet and think about what you've done. And I don't care how long it takes! I'll keep ye up here all day if I have to! Yer gonna learn to respect me! I'll only take that gag out when yer ready, do you hear me?!" Spitelout shouted._

 _Snotlout sniffled and cried, looking up at his father with fear, tears pouring down his face, not answering._

 _"I said do you hear me?!"_

 _Snotlout flinched at the fist and cried out, nodding his head yes hurriedly, wondering how his father could be so cruel to do this to him._

 _"Good." Spitelout snorted down at him with fury. "Now sit there like a good boy and chew on yer gag like I told you too."_

Snotlout whimpered and nearly burst into sobs right there on the spot, shaking and trembling all over. Viggo's words replayed again: _"give in to the pain itself. Then it can no longer hurt you._

 _You heard me. Give in. Now open."_

Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, a whimper of defeat escaped Snotlout's lips and he slowly opened his mouth, trying to control the sounds of his sobbing.

Viggo smiled at how easily Snotlout submitted himself, stuffing the cloth into Snotlout's mouth between his teeth. He watched the boy flinch and whimper, biting down as Viggo got another put in, tying the knot tightly behind his head.

"Don't worry," Viggo gently patted the boy's cheek, able to feel the wad of cloths forced between the boy's teeth, making him smirk. "Tomorrow's a new day. Then this will all be over."

Watching the boy sniffle and cry, his head laid down against the desk in defeat, Viggo reached a thumb towards his face, wiping away a tear with his thumb.

"For me anyways."

* * *

The next morning, Viggo's ships were approaching the Edge from the South and it was only then that Viggo allowed Spitelout to emerge from his cell.

"Get yer grubby hands off me!" Spitelout snapped, jerking and swearing at the men holding his arms as he was brought on deck. "Where's my son?! VIGGO!" He roared.

Viggo was standing still, patiently waiting with a smirk, eyeing Spitelout as he was brought to him. Ryker was nowhere in sight.

Glaring daggers at Viggo as he tugged at his arms, Spitelout spat at the man. "Where is my son?!"

"Now, now, you remember the deal. Patience, Spitelout."

"Ohhhhh, ye got a lot of nerve talking to me about patience!" Spitelout snapped, pointing a finger at Viggo's chest. "If I don't get my son back in the next two seconds-"

The men holding his arms yanked him back with a snarl and Spitelout let out a roar of frustration into the sky, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.

Viggo watched, amused. "First, you must play your part. I'll allow you to be free momentarily to fly on your dragon to the Edge, but only to lead Hiccup and the others away."

Spitelout was hardly even listening, jerking around at the men holding him. "I'm not doing anything for ye until I get my son back!"

Viggo's smirk fell, losing his patience with the man. He snapped his fingers and glanced over when his brother emerged from below deck, able to hear Snotlout struggling, wriggling around in Ryker's tight grasp.

"Let go of me! Get your hands off me!" Snotlout snapped as Ryker shoved him, jerking at his bound wrists, stumbling over his feet from the pushing.

Spitelout's eyes widened when he saw him, relief washing over him. "Snotlout!"

Hearing his father's voice, Snotlout quit struggling and looked over, a grin forming on his face. "Dad!"

He started to rush forward to get to him but Ryker grabbed him by his tunic, making Snotlout gasp and snarl in frustration, jerking around when Ryker effortlessly lifted him off his feet.

Watching, Spitelout had had more than enough. "Rrrrahhh!" He snarled and elbowed one of the men holding him, breaking free of the other, knocking him down, marching his way towards Ryker furiously.

Looking surprised, Ryker dropped Snotlout to the ground aside, flinching when Spitelout suddenly snatched a fistful of his tunic.

"Ohhhhhh, I am so going to enjoy this!" Spitelout growled dangerously, eyes narrowed into slits as he quickly raised his balled fist menacingly.

Suddenly he heard a yelp and his eyes widened in horror as he recognized the voice, looking over quickly to see Snotlout topple to the ground unconscious, Viggo standing above him, a bludgeon in hand.

"Snotlout!" Spitelout dropped Ryker immediately at the sight of his unconscious son who now lay unmoving, crumpled up on the deck.

Now free, Ryker snarled and punched Spitelout directly in the nose, causing him to stumble back, the other Hunters grabbing his arms, trapping him once again.

Infuriated and also annoyed, Spitelout snarled, struggling against them. "Rrrrahhhh! I'll get you both for this! If you lay one more finger on my son—"

"Oh really, Like this?" Ryker smirked and grabbed the back of Snotlout's tunic with a fist, lifting him up into the air, going to the side of the ship, dangling Snotlout over the side tauntingly as if he was going to drop him.

"No!" Spitelout cried, jerking desperately at his arms, unable to pull free. "Let go of him!"

"Any minute now, this could be all over if you're ready to comply with me." Viggo spoke, admiring his fingernails, directing Spitelout's attention back to him.

Frowning with his mouth agape, Spitelout glanced back at Ryker with a gulp, seeing Ryker give a huff, still dangling his son above the crashing waves below. Snotlout remained unconscious.

Swallowing hard, eyebrows furrowed, Spitelout knew he didn't have another choice unless he wanted Snotlout to continue getting beaten to a pulp.

"What do ye want me to do?" Spitelout finally growled at Viggo, looking at him with dead-serious eyes.

Viggo looked up from his fingernails with a smirk, glad Spitelout finally agreed to comply. "As I said before, I need you to fly on your dragon to Dragon's Edge and lure Hiccup and the others away so that I may infiltrate their base, taking them down in surprise when they return."

Spitelout grit his teeth, blood broiling at the thought of helping Viggo defeat those kids. "And what if I don't?" He growled.

Viggo gave him a look and cleared his throat, nodding to Ryker who still held Snotlout over the side of the ship, raising a brow at him.

Spitelout got the message, scowling. "Fine. But leave my son alone."

Viggo nodded and motioned for Ryker to comply, the Hunter reluctantly bringing Snotlout back to the ship's deck with an eye roll. "As you wish. Release the Nadder!"

Spitelout perked up and blinked, turning to see Kingstail being released from a cage that he hadn't even noticed was there. Kingstail squawked and hurried to Spitelout, allowing him to stroke his snout affectionately.

"Kingstail! Aye, easy lad, it's alright….." Spitelout was relieved to see his dragon okay, managing a grin as he scratched gently at the dragon's chin, though a wave of angst washed through him that Hookfang wasn't here as well, once again reminded of his son.

"You know the drill. Now don't disappoint me." Viggo almost growled, eyeing Spitelout closely.

From the ground, Snotlout was waking up, letting out a groan, slowly sitting up, blinking his eyes open, his head hurting. "Uggh, what happened?"

Hearing his son, Spitelout turned with a frown, looking at Snotlout with wide eyes.

His vision focusing, Snotlout spotted his father ahead, eyes widening when he saw him with Kingstail, remembering Viggo's plan, gasping. "Dad no! You can't do this, don't!" He scrambled to his feet and tried to get to him, Ryker grabbing him before he could get away.

"Dad!" Snotlout whimpered, kicking, his feet off the ground.

Spitelout looked pained for a moment, then angry, wanting to get his son out of these cruel men's grasps. Beside him, Kingstail unfolded his wings, lifting the spikes on his tail with a growl.

"Spitelout….." Viggo warned lowly, shaking his head no, nodding towards Ryker, who slapped an angry hand over Snotlout's mouth with a snarl, muffling the boy's cries as he jerked around desperately, held up against Ryker's chest tighty.

Crying out, he shook his head no desperately at his father, eyes wide with fear for his friends as he kicked his legs everywhere. "Mmmmph mmmmm! Mmph!"

Spitelout felt fear tug at his heart, watching his son held helplessly by his captors, pained anger spurting through him. He made a pray to Odin that Snotlout would be safe, taking in a deep breath as he glared, offering the Grimbornes a nod.

He then turned and hopped onto Kingstail's back, scowling as he swallowed hard, not sure if he could even do this.

"Mmmmph mmmmmm!" He heard his son cry out and Spitelout had to squeeze his eyes shut tightly to avoid leaping off Kingstail right then and there to get his son away safely.

Taking in a shaky breath, he made a clicking sound to Kingstail, gripping his saddle tightly, avoiding looking back at his son as Kingstail took flight into the air.

His son's muffled whimpering soon faded and Spitelout's chest heaved with guilt, hoping he wouldn't regret this.

On deck, Ryker smiled, watching Spitelout disappear into the distance. "Well, nice work, Viggo." He chuckled, impressed.

"Mmmmmm!" Snotlout growled into Ryker's hand, kicking everywhere, thrashing around desperately, like a scared animal caught in a trap.

Ryker snarled, squeezing his hand over Snotlout's face tighter, holding him against tightly against his chest. "Grraahhh! Does this one ever shut up?! The little—"

He shoved Snotlout away in anger, Snotlout's shoulder hitting the deck hard, making him yelp and wince with pain, rolling to his backside.

He gasped as he looked up to see Ryker come over and grab his shirt, raising his fist to punch him but Viggo intervened.

"Easy big brother, he's had his share already."

Looking up from the floor, Snotlout's eyes went narrow at the thought of his friends being tricked even as they spoke, growling as he kicked his legs out, knocking Ryker down, hurriedly getting to his feet.

"Ey!" Ryker shouted as he fell back, snarling, watching Snotlout get up and scramble off, away from them.

Panting heavily, Snotlout wished his hands were untied as he tried to get away, breathing heavily as he ran towards the other end of the ship, though he didn't quite know what he'd do when he got there, he couldn't _swim_ away.

An arm wrapped itself around Snotlout's throat suddenly, ripping the thought away from his mind as the boy let out a strangled gasp, coughing in surprise.

He started to kick and squirm, letting out an angry snarl, flinching when a wet cloth suddenly pressed over his nose, someone holding it there.

Snotlout snarled and thrashed his head around frantically, trying not to breathe in, the cloth smelling strongly of a foul odor, but the arm squeezing around his throat forced him otherwise, making him cough and sputter.

Continuing to jerk and squirm, Snotlout growled but couldn't hold his breath much longer, coughing, the strong smell of the cloth burning his nostrils as he exhaled and inhaled, his eyes watering.

Gradually he began to struggle less and less, whimpering as the smell overtook him, holding his head back, suddenly overcome with tiredness, weak and unable to struggle.

"That's it, easy now. Just give in, Snotlout." He heard Viggo's voice float into his ear and Snotlout flinched, whimpering as he couldn't hold his breath any longer and he inhaled the awful, burning smell, feeling his consciousness slip out underneath him.

His legs buckled and his eyes rolled back, letting out a soft moan as his weight sunk into the chest of the man holding him, his friends being the last thing he remembered before darkness consumed him entirely.

Viggo let out a soft grunt as he caught the boy before he could fall back, taking the cloth away from Snotlout's face as he lay limp and motionless.

Catching his breath a moment from holding Snotlout's weight, Viggo glanced at him, spotting the boy's mouth hung open, the boy definitely unconscious.

Slowly and carefully, Viggo eased the boy to the ground, gently lying him on his back, wiping at his brow, quite pleased with himself. "Now, let's get to work."

He clasped his hands together, allowing a smirk to form upon his face, anxiously awaiting to see the look on Hiccup's face when he so cleverly took him and all the rest of his pathetic friends down.

* * *

"Rrawk!"

"Easy, laddie," Spitelout patted Kingstail's neck as he held onto his saddle. "We'll get Snotlout back," He reassured him. "If I can come up with a plan that is…." He swallowed hard, feeling beads of sweat trinkle down his forehead.

Kingstail flapped rapidly along as they headed for the Edge, clearly agitated, wide-eyed and alarmed, frowning as he listened to Spitelout worriedly speak.

"How in the world am I going to do this, I can't lie to the Chief's son! Certainly not like this! But I have to! I can't let Snotlout keep gettin' hurt, not by those low-down, troll bugger Grimbornes!" He growled, gripping his saddle tightly with white knuckles. "Ooh when I get my hands on 'em I'm gonna—"

His voice trailed off, seeing the huts of the Edge become more focused as they came closer, angst building up in the pit of his stomach. "Okay, okay think, think, I gotta do this, for me son….!"

"Rrrawwk!" Kingstail squawked in response, flapping hurriedly, knowing he had to get his Rider to the ground quickly.

"Okay, okay, yes, no, maybe-" Spitelout started trying to concoct a plan in his head but his emotions were all jumbled up and confused, he couldn't think straight, visions of Snotlout being held hostage flashing across his eyes, making the Viking tremble with fear and angst all at once.

Suddenly there were approaching the Clubhouse, as if it came out of nowhere and Spitelout nearly gulped, sucking in a breath when Kingstail's feet landed with a thud, making their entrance well known to everyone, who turned to look at them.

Spitelout swallowed hard and hopped down, trying to avoid looking so distraught, trying to regain himself, blocking the visions of Snotlout from his head.

"Spitelout!" Hiccup laughed a little at the sight of the Viking. "Hey, I-I thought you were off with Snotlout on a fishing trip?"

Spitelout almost flinched at hearing his son's name, swallowing hard, glancing at Kingstail with big eyes as his dragon squawked, cocking his head at Spitelout, looking fearful himself.

Stuttering, Spitelout's mouth opened and closed, feeling as if a hundred eyes were staring right at him. "Oh, uh, I uh, y-y-yes, yes we-we were, boy-o! We was! Fin-Finished early!"

"Oh, well that's nice. Where's Snotlout then?" Hiccup only continued to smile.

Spitelout again nearly flinched, hoping these kids couldn't see the sweat running down his face.

"Oh uh, you know, back home at Berk with his mum!" He laughed nervously. "He's fine, peachy really!" His voice cracked, sheepishly smiling as he lied.

Beside him, Kingstail squawked in distress and nudged Spitelout urgently with his snout, looking alarmed as he heard Spitelout talking about his offspring, who he knew was in trouble. "Rrrawwk rrawk!"

Hiccup and the others frowned at this. "Spitelout, is your dragon alright?"

Spitelout nervously laughed, gently grabbing Kingstail's snout. "Oh ha ha, he-he's fine! He-He's jus' on edge because of the emergency on Berk….!"

"Emergency?" Hiccup immediately tensed, eyebrows raising. "What emergency? Is it my father?"

"Oh uh, yes, yes!" Spitelout nodded rapidly, nearly trembling as the lies continued to spill from his mouth. "Stoick sent me to fetch you lads right away to help but only you lot not anybody else because he loves you bunch so much he doesn't trust anybody else at all, not anyone from here to the edge of the Archipelago, not even Alvin or that deranged fellow or that lovely merchant lady from three islands down or even the three legged yak Yakbert he kept as a kid!" The words all spilled out of Spitelout's mouth, talking a mile a minute.

Hiccup frowned as he listened, raising a brow in confusion and almost suspicion, hardly understanding. "What?"

Spitelout cleared his throat, completely uneased. "Oh uh, eh nevermind! We have to get going, quickly!" He quickly hopped onto Kingstail's back, swallowing hard, unable to believe he was actually doing this as Hiccup and the others mounted their dragons.

"Come on, quickly, quickly!" Spitelout urged, Kingstail already taking off.

Hiccup and the others frowned, Hiccup glancing at Astrid for a sort of explanation, Astrid only shrugging, unsure herself.

"Okay gang, let's go!" Hiccup instructed, Toothless taking off, the others following close behind, flapping their wings hurriedly as they caught up behind Spitelout, who led them.

"Uh Spitelout! Could you give us more detail onto what this 'emergency' situation is?" Hiccup called out to him from behind. "Do you really need all of us to come with you?! Berk is a long travel for us!"

Spitelout bit his lip, eyebrows furrowed as he glanced back at them. "Do ye need an explanation for everything, boy-o?! It's an emergency, that's all ye need to know! Now hurry!"

Gripping his saddle tighter, Kingstail flew faster, Spitelout sucking in a breath as he flew the kids off North, avoiding looking down at the other side of the island where he knew Viggo and Ryker would be unboarding soon, with his _son_ as their cargo.

 _Odin help me, please, keep my son safe…_

* * *

The next time Snotlout opened his eyes, he was momentarily clueless as he had no idea where he was, looking around worriedly.

He felt cloths between his teeth, forcing him to bite down uncomfortably, making his eyebrows furrow.

Wherever he was, they were moving and it appeared as if he was hoisted over someone's shoulders.

Feeling rope around his wrists, Snotlout wiggled a little, grunting softly under the cloths, seeing trees around him.

Whoever was carrying him let out a snort at his wiggling and tightened their grip on him, seeming to sneer.

Frowning with big eyes, briefly wondering where his father was, Snotlout looked around them, it taking a minute before he realized they were on Dragon's Edge.

 _Oh no, Hiccup, the gang!_

He realized his father must have went through with the plan, oh how could he just betray him like this? Betraying his friends, betraying their future chief?! Boy, Stoick will give him a good earful when he learns about this!

Snotlout couldn't believe his father and the thought of his friends being tricked made him jerk at the rope around his wrists out of anger, kicking a little, pushing at the man's chest who held him.

"Hey! Quit strugglin'!" He heard a growl and tried to turn his head to glare at him, growling himself.

The man kept walking with him, making Snotlout snort, frowning when he realized they were getting near the huts. Wiggling in hopes of getting free, soon they were walking to the clubhouse and he swallowed hard.

Suddenly, he heard a roar, an all-too familiar roar. Eyes going big, he looked over the side down below, looking for his beloved dragon.

"Hookfang!" Snotlout cried out, but his voice was muffled. He spotted Hookfang trapped in a dragon-proof cage, infuriating him.

Hookfang looked raging mad himself, not liking being trapped in such a small cage, snapping his jaws at the Hunters around him furiously, but he stopped when he heard Snotlout, even if it was a faint, muffled cry.

At first his eyes went wide and he tried to turn back to look at him, but he was too big in the cage and enraged at not being at his rider's side, he lit his entire body into burning flames, letting out a loud, terrorizing roar of anguish.

Snotlout watched with huge eyes, a little startled, whimpering faintly, kicking around, narrowing his eyes, wanting his dragon. "Mmm mmmm!"

The man carrying him growled and took him into the clubhouse, rudely throwing Snotlout to the ground, who looked up with a snarl and a glare.

Growling, when the Hunter stepped away, Snotlout hopped to his feet to dash away.

A fist grabbed him.

"Ah, I don't think so." He was lifted into the air, leaving him dangling and Snotlout snarled at Ryker, fists clenched tightly. "Rrrrrmmmph!"

"Viggo, what do we do with the squirming 'oh so tough' Viking?" Ryker snorted, glaring at Snotlout who jerked, twisted and kicked literally everywhere in his grip.

Viggo was strutting around in the Clubhouse with pride, smirking, only glancing at them briefly. "Sit him down somewhere, he can get comfortable. We'll need him for when Hiccup and the others return of course."

Snotlout glared furiously at Viggo as he squirmed, snarling through his gag, wanted to take Viggo out right then and there for hurting him and imprisoning his dragon.

Ryker almost grinned as he brought Snotlout over to the chairs surrounding the fire in the center of the clubhouse, shoving the boy down into a sitting position, not being gentle whatsoever.

Snotlout glared up at him with a growl, muttering curse words at him through his gag, moving to get right back to his feet, not just going to sit there.

Ryker however grabbed his head, literally grabbed him and shoved him back down, pressing his head down firmly. "Ye stay right there…..an' don't even think 'bout movin'." He growled, smirking at Snotlout's angry whimpers and growls, nearly chuckling at the boy jerking his head around in his grip.

Ryker pulled his hand away and glared with a mean look, daring Snotlout to try and mess with him. Glaring back, Snotlout didn't try to get up again.

He was breathing heavily and he pulled at the ropes around his wrists in hopes to somehow get free, but he was very tired, and hungry and there was no way he could get away from them anyhow.

He watched as Ryker walked off, hearing him let out a prideful huff, making Snotlout snort to himself.

Turning his head, he looked out the clubhouse, looking at the horizon, the sky bright blue and clear.

He could picture his father with Hiccup and the others, flying off to Thor knows where right this moment, swallowing hard. From down below, he could hear Hookfang's frantic roaring of distress, making him cringe with pain that he couldn't help him.

 _Maybe Hiccup won't come back at all, I mean he and the others don't care about me that much, right? They could just hightail it back to Berk and pretend nothing happened, yeah! Then they'd all be safe and he wouldn't have to worry about them._

Somehow as he made this pray to Thor, Snotlout didn't think that was quite the case…

* * *

Hiccup watched Kingstail's bobbing form in the air, surprised at how fast the Nadder was flying. Toothless and the dragons had to fly quickly to keep up.

Hiccup still didn't quite understand; what kind of emergency could it be? Was his father alright? Why couldn't Spitelout just tell him what was wrong? And why did they all need to fly to Berk with him? The journey back to Berk was long and it tired the Dragons out quickly; they didn't need all their dragons to be tired out if it could be avoided.

They had been flying off for a while now and nothing else had been said except side conversations between Fishlegs and the twins. Spitelout hadn't yelled one thing back to them in ages.

Hiccup wondered what was going on. Something didn't feel quite right.

"Hiccup! There's a ship down there." Astrid's sudden voice startled him, it having been quiet for so long, he hadn't been expecting to hear a voice. "Should we check it out?" She pointed and Hiccup looked down with a scowl at the faint blob of a ship on the water far below.

"It's prolly Viggo and Ryker…." Fishlegs stated with a shake of his head.

"Oh it's not Viggo and Ryker," Spitelout's voice suddenly called back to them. "I know exactly where them two wretched vermin are." He growled, gripping his saddle tightly with anger.

Hiccup's eyes went wide and Spitelout quickly realized his mistake.

"What?" Hiccup looked at Spitelout as if he were insane, eyebrows furrowing when Spitelout didn't answer. "What did you say?!"

Spitelout swallowed, going nervous as he looked back, not sure if he could cover this with a lie. "Errr, uh-"

"Why do you know where Ryker and Viggo are?" Hiccup questioned suspiciously, watching the man.

Spitelout let out a frustrated growl, exasperated. "Ahh, alright! Quick, back to the Edge!" Kingstail turned, suddenly taking off back home. "Quickly, quickly!"

Hiccup watched as he flew past, almost gasping, eyes narrowed, not understanding. He glanced at the others and nobody had an answer, following after Spitelout and Kingstail nonetheless.

"Spitelout, what's going on?!" Hiccup shouted, wanting answers as Toothless rapidly flew along.

"Jus' hurry, boy-o, hurry!" Urged Spitelout with a waving hand, not looking back, too focused on getting back to his son, afraid to even think of what they were doing to him.

Hiccup frowned at him and gripped his saddle tighter, confused.

With the rapid speed at which they flying, the Edge soon appeared across the horizon and as they neared closer, Hiccup tried to see if Dragon Hunter ships were there at the shores, attacking, but saw nothing of the sort.

Spitelout still flew ahead on Kingstail, in the lead.

As they kept getting closer, Hiccup felt a strange feeling wash over him but he didn't really know what it was. Anxiety? Fear?

"Uhhh, Hiccup!" He heard Fishlegs call, looking back to see Fishlegs peering through his spy-glass.

"Fishlegs?" Hiccup held his breath, expectant.

"You better see this." Fishlegs tossed him the spy-glass and Hiccup caught it, having a look through it.

It took him a minute to see what Fishlegs had saw but when he saw it, his eyes widened.

"Is that Hookfang?!" He frowned, seeing Hookfang in a dragon-proof cage and guarded by Hunters near the Dome.

Hiccup felt that feeling wash over him again. _If Hookfang was there….oh no._

"Yep. And if Hookfang's there…" Fishlegs trailed off, nervously frowning.

Hiccup knew exactly what he was thinking, tensing, managing a scowl. _No wonder Spitelout was acting so bizarre!_

Hiccup had to get some answers before they flew in too close. "Spitelout! Spitelout, fall back!"

Spitelout glanced back with a scowl. "Wha' eh?! What for!" He growled.

"Just do it!" Hiccup yelled, descending on Toothless with the others in tow, using the forests as cover-up as they flew close to the ground to avoid being seen.

The dragons stopped and landed in a small cluster and Spitelout hopped down, jogging to Hiccup quickly. "Why are we stopping?! We need to get in closer!"

Hiccup held out his hands, serious. "Spitelout, what is going on? We need to know."

"What's going on is yer friends Viggo and Ryker have me son. We gotta get in there and save him before anything else happens!" Spitelout exclaimed.

Hiccup's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Viggo and Ryker? Have Snotlout?"

"We can take 'em, we jus' have to surround 'em from all sides and rush 'em when they don't expect it! Dragon power! Now come on, lad, hurry!" Spitelout urged, grabbing at Hiccup's arm, tugging as if he were a parent yanking on a child.

"Wait, Spitelout, assuming they have Snotlout hostage, we can't just rush in there and attack. That could get Snotlout killed." Hiccup frowned, a deep-serious look.

"Hiccup, that's me son out there! I ain't waiting around to get him back, they've already done enough damage to 'em!" Spitelout started to growl.

"But we can't just attack them, not if they've got Snotlout." Astrid frowned.

"Yeah, we can't risk Snotlout getting killed. It's too risky I'm afraid." Fishlegs stated, shifting uneasily on his feet.

"So what do ye suggest we do?" Spitelout snorted, angry at them, wanting his son. "Stand around and ask 'em nicely?" He spat.

"No. We'll go in. But we can't attack if they've got Snotlout." Hiccup directed. "If we can manage to get Snotlout outta there without him getting hurt, then we attack. You got that, Spitelout?"

Spitelout raised his clenched fist. "I say we jus' attack! We can get Snotlout outta there more quickly!"

"But Spitelout, there's more of them than us. We're also down a Rider and a dragon. And if they use Snotlout against us, we can't risk his life, that's too big a risk." Hiccup swallowed. "Snotlout could die, Spitelout. And we can't let that happen."

Spitelout closed his eyes shut tightly at the thought of his son dying, a thought he never envisioned, nor wanted to witness in his entire life. He was reluctant about this Hiccup-y plan, he just wanted to burst in, grab Snotlout and roast Viggo and Ryker's behinds and get them the Hell outta there.

But he didn't want his son hurt either.

Spitelout let out a frustrated sigh. "Okay Hiccup, we'll do it yer way. For now. But if they touch him, I will-"

"And you have every right to," Hiccup held out a hand. "Just let's not put Snotlout's life at risk right now, okay?"

Spitelout gave a nod and hurried back to Kingstail as the others mounted up. "Okay gang," Hiccup called. "You know what to do!"

Spitelout gripped his saddle tightly, eyes narrowing as they took off in flight. _Time to get my son back._

* * *

Hiccup stayed close behind Spitelout and Kingstail, allowing them to be in the lead. He knew Spitelout must be worried and desperate to get Snotlout back.

 _But why hadn't he told them about him in the first place?_ He wondered. They could have stopped this whole thing from happening in the first place.

Then he remembered Viggo and Ryker have Snotlout and then he figured it out himself, swallowing hard, hoping his friend was alright. Spitelout had said something about Snotlout already getting hurt and Hiccup felt that wave of anxiety wash through him again, hoping it wasn't serious.

They couldn't risk losing Snotlout.

The gang flew towards the clubhouse and when they neared close enough, Hiccup allowed his voice to become an angry yell. "VIGGO!"

The Dragons stopped just before the Clubhouse, getting into a straight line, looking angry and ready to fight, riders too.

A strolling, happy Viggo walked out and to the edge of the clubhouse, having been expecting them. "Well hello Hiccup….." He grinned, hardly able to hold back his excitement.

Hiccup glared and even though he knew Spitelout wanted to be the one to talk for Snotlout's sake, he continued to speak. "Where is Snotlout?" He demanded, eyes narrowed angrily, voice a growl.

Viggo laughed a little, eyes gleaming. "Can't even offer a simple hello? Why he's perfectly fine, we've been having a great time."

Spitelout snarled under his breath, wanting to murder Viggo as he glared at him and he would too if he had dared hurt his son again.

"Where is he?" Hiccup repeated with a low growl.

Viggo shook his head with a tsk tsk sound. "Picky, picky. But alright, as you wish." He snapped his fingers and soon Ryker appeared.

The gang all went wide-eyed and frightened when they saw Snotlout in his grip, hands bound and gagged, a sword held at his throat by Ryker.

He appeared to be struggling but he looked afraid and Ryker was holding him off the ground so tightly to his chest it didn't look like he could move around much anyways, except kick his legs.

Snotlout's eyes went wide with fear when he saw his friends, gulping hard, letting out a muffled whimper of despair, shaking his head no.

Hiccup was beyond angry at the sight of his friend held hostage and he couldn't even imagine what Spitelout was feeling. "Viggo, you've gone too far! Let Snotlout go." He growled and Toothless himself let out a low, warning rumble.

Viggo stifled a chuckle. "Oh Hiccup, you are so naïve. Do you really think I'll just hand him off to you?"

Beside him, Snotlout whimpered into his gag as Ryker pressed the blade closer, touching his throat, a cold chill running down his spine, making tears prick at his eyes.

"Look around you, Viggo!" Hiccup called, glaring. "Do you really want to take all of us on? 'Cause we're willing to do whatever it takes."

Viggo almost snorted. "Oh please Hiccup. Like you would allow yourselves to come near me and risk Snotlout's life."

By now the blade on Snotlout's throat had drawn blood and the helpless boy continued to whimper, listening and watching with frightened eyes, frowning deeply as he bit down tightly on the cloths.

"Well maybe you shouldn't mess with one of us so you don't have to know what happens when you do." Hiccup huffed.

"Wrong again, Hiccup. I know good and well that none of you will even think about-"

"Oh forget this," Spitelout huffed loudly, letting out an angry war-cry, Kingstail suddenly swopping down to the clubhouse, straight at Viggo and Ryker.

"Spitelout, no!" Hiccup cried, going wide-eyed.

"Rrrrraaahhhhhh! LET MY SON GO!" Spitelout roared furiously, glaring straight at Viggo and Ryker as Kingstail landed, hopping off quickly, marching for them head on with balled fists.

The Grimbornes looked startled and a little bewildered while Snotlout's eyes were huge with fear, holding his breath nervously, gulping.

Spitelout marched for Viggo, catching him off-guard almost as he grabbed him and slammed him straight up against the wall, pushing his arm into his throat. "If you don't let up and let my son go this instant—"

"Hey, that'll be enough of that!" Ryker snarled and made a deep slit across Snotlout's throat, making the boy cry out and whimper with pain, blood running down his neck now.

Spitelout tried his hardest not to look at his son as he heard him cry out, gritting his teeth hard, focusing on Viggo, who winced, nervously smiling. "Why Spitelout, I-"

Spitelout snarled, losing all of his patience, slugging Viggo hard. "Let my son go!" He shouted again, spit flying off his lips onto Viggo's face.

From nearby the Dragons and Riders watched tensely, all wide-eyed and afraid but not able to do anything for if they tried to shoot, they might hurt Snotlout or Spitelout. It was all too risky.

"Spitelout, if you would just-" Viggo started, wincing as Spitelout pressed his arm tighter into Viggo's throat, choking him. He had lost all of his patience, he was beyond furious and he wanted his son back right away.

Spitelout then heard a yelp behind him and flinched when he heard it was his son, muffled whimpering and cries following directly afterwards and Spitelout turned with wide eyes, mouth falling open when he saw Ryker's hand around Snotlout's throat, choking him.

He held Snotlout up in the air and just squeezed, harshly choking the boy, not at all a bit sorry.

Snotlout was choking and sputtering and trying to gasp for air but being gagged they all came out as muffled grunts. He could not breathe as Ryker continued to squeeze his neck and he literally felt all the blood and color disappear from his face.

Spitelout gawked when he saw his son's face go white, the boy's entire face looking pained and Spitelout was furious but scared and knowing he had to do something to get his son back, he latched his own hand around Viggo's neck, now choking him.

Viggo now sputtered, not expecting this and neither was Ryker, who tensed and kept right on choking Snotlout, not loosening his grip.

Snotlout whimpered and coughed but it was useless under the gag. He couldn't breathe and his eyes started rolling back, on the immediate brink of falling unconscious.

Spitelout glared with a furious snarl and didn't drop Viggo, choking him tightly too, trying to prove his point.

Even from where he sat on Toothless, Hiccup could see the pain on Snotlout's face as his friend got choked and he couldn't take it anymore, knowing he had to intervene before Ryker literally killed Snotlout.

"Enough! Okay, stop! Stop! Viggo, what is it you want?!"

Spitelout had loosened his grip on Viggo at Hiccup's voice and Viggo now perked up, giving Spitelout a little push aside, snapping his fingers at Ryker.

Ryker dropped Snotlout to the ground and Snotlout was nearly unconscious at this point, gasping and coughing to breathe desperately, unmoving on the ground, whimpering loudly as he could not move, trying to fill his lungs with oxygen okay.

"Surrender to me, Hiccup and I will spare you with the boy's life." Viggo stated sincerely.

"What?!" Spitelout wasn't having any of this; he just wanted his son, jabbing a threatening finger at Viggo. "If you don't get me my son-"

Ryker then kicked a harsh foot into Snotlout's face, making the boy cry out even more, whimpering and still crying out from lack of breathing. "Mmmph!"

Spitelout turned with a gasp but Hiccup interrupted them again. "Enough! Viggo, it's over." He declared with narrowed eyes, then raised his hands up in surrender, clear for him to see.

Reluctantly, watching Hiccup, the other Riders did too, each raising their own arms in defeat.

Spitelout almost gasped at them in alarm, not anywhere close to wanting to give up. From the ground, Snotlout peeked an eye open at them and let out an anguish cry of fear, shaking his head no, shocked they were giving up so quickly.

Viggo smirked with pride that everything was going so accordingly for him, watching Hiccup gleefully as he surrendered himself. "Perfect."

 **To Be Continued...**


	7. Willing to Risk Your Own Son? Part 3

**A/N: More Graphic Child Abuse but you prolly already knew that...also i'd like to thank everyone who reviewed so far, y'all make my day :D**

 **Part 3**

Hiccup glared with fury, flinching from the loud slam as Ryker slammed the door to their cell shut. He and the others had been tossed into the stables, separated from their dragons, them being imprisoned in their own dragon-proof cages as well.

"Viggo, Ryker, you will not get away with this…!" Hiccup snapped, fists clenched in rage at his side.

Snotlout was still within their grasp, still a hostage, though he was nowhere to be seen at the moment.

Viggo smiled at them, an evil gleam of pride in his eyes. "It seems as though I already have, my dear boy."

"Get yer hands off me! Ohhhh when I get free, I'm gonna—Gaaahhh!" Spitelout snarled as he was dragged off and brought to his own cell separate from the others on the other side of the stables. The men dragging him over shoved him harshly inside, Spitelout stumbling, gripping the bars of the cell tightly when it was slammed shut.

"Ye scum! I will not take any of this mutiny! When I get outta here—" He swore and cussed the lot out, slamming himself into and punching the bars of the cell in hopes of getting free.

Viggo ignored the man and Ryker walked out without a word. "Such fun we're going to have together, all of us."

"Uhhh, does he mean we're going to have actual fun together?" Tuffnut whispered lowly to his friends and Ruffnut frowned at him, shaking her head no.

"Viggo, you're going to regret this. We will get out of here and when we do—"

"Hiccup, look on the bright side my friend. With me in control of the Edge, I'm free to do whatever I please and with you all as my faithful subjects, the possibilities for you are endless." Viggo smiled at Hiccup, enjoying himself.

"Again, not fun?" Tuff glanced at Ruff who gave him a look.

"At least let Snotlout go." Hiccup huffed, eyes narrowed. "You can't keep him hostage."

"Yeah!" Fishlegs glared.

"Oh I can't can I? Oh but I believe I can and I will. And there's nothing you helpless Vikings can do about it. Except maybe watch." Viggo smirked.

"Watch what?" Astrid growled before Hiccup could.

Viggo's smile never left his face. "I'm glad you asked."

Ryker reappeared, dragging a still bound and gagged stumbling Snotlout with him.

Hiccup and the others got the feeling they knew what Viggo was going to do, tensing and clenching their fists angrily, eyes narrowed.

"Mmmph, mmm!" Snotlout whimpered faintly as Ryker brought him over, looking scared. By this point, he was very tired and weak, hungry, wanting to be set free so he could eat and get some proper rest.

Viggo smirked at Snotlout as Ryker brought him over, making sure Hiccup saw his smirk and raised eyebrow coolly. "Hmmph."

"Hey, Viggo!" Spitelout snarled from his cell, glaring at Viggo's back. "Whatever you're plannin' to do with my son, DON'T." He warned with a growl, eyes daring Viggo to mess with him.

Viggo turned around slowly, a sly look in his eyes. "Oh I'm not going to do anything to him, Spitelout. He is." Viggo glanced at his brother with a smirk and before anyone knew it, Ryker's fist had slammed into Snotlout's stomach, the boy doubling over, crying out with pain.

"No!" Spitelout cried out, gripping the bars of the cell tightly, desperately wanting to get to his son.

Ryker's fist collided into Snotlout's cheek, practically sending him flying. Snotlout screamed with pain and cried out as he hit the ground, whimpering, struggling to try and stand in an attempt to get away.

"Viggo, stop this!" Hiccup cried out as Ryker slammed his foot into Snotlout's chest, watching with horror, mouth wide open.

Viggo didn't reply but instead turned to face Hiccup with a very clever smirk, knowing he had won.

"Mmmmph! Mmmmm!" Snotlout screamed as Ryker picked him up and slugged him hard, over and over, getting tossed aside carelessly to the ground on his stomach, beginning to cry.

"Son!" Spitelout cried out as he watched in horror, fear ripping at his chest. "Viggo, stop this!" He shouted, trying to be angry but he was more scared than anything right now.

"Viggo, stop!" Hiccup shouted, looking away as Snotlout got kicked in the face. "This is torture, stop torturing him!" A few of the other riders joined in with their protests, wide-eyed and in horror, some turning away, unable to watch.

Ryker yanked Snotlout off the ground by his hair and Snotlout sobbed and screamed, his cries muffled by his gag, not daring to struggle, having gone rigid and defenseless.

Visions of Spitelout beating him flashed through his memory again and he couldn't move or defend himself, as if he was in shock. Only tears poured down his face.

A punch to Snotlout's stomach, then his face, then a foot to his gut, then to his head.

"Snotlout!" Spitelout cried out, his voice a whimper now, wincing and flinching every time his son got hit. "Stop it, stop hurting him, please! Please!" His hand gripped a bar of his cell tightly, eyes wide with fear.

Hiccup couldn't watch anymore as Snotlout lay on the ground helpless, another foot slamming into his stomach. "V-Viggo! E-Enough, stop it!"

"Let him go!"

"Snotlout!"

"Stop hurting him!"

The Riders all called out with fear, horrified at the sight of their friend.

Viggo ignored them all and didn't flinch. In fact, he was only enjoying himself.

Ryker snatched up Snotlout from the floor, slugging him and by now, blood ran down Snotlout's face and he was completely defenseless.

Biting down tightly on his gags, he sobbed, his eyes squeezed shut with fear, whimpering as he could hear his father's shouting in the background, envisioning his fist punching him from years ago.

Ryker dropped Snotlout to the ground with a sneer and he curled up into a ball, tears pouring down his cheeks, his muffled sobbing frightening everyone who watched, except Viggo.

Spitelout was holding back tears, whimpering and crying out, jerking at the bars of his cell helplessly in an attempt to break free in order to get to his son.

Hiccup was breathing heavily, trying not to cry as well, managing a glimpse at his wounded friend. "Viggo, e-enough!"

Ryker picked the boy up again, punching him, pulling his hair, throwing him directly into the floor, pressing his face down into the ground with his boot, Snotlout helplessly crying out.

"For gods sake, stop it, please, he's jus' a boy, st-stop it!" Spitelout whimpered, shaking, on the brink of tears, his pleading desperate. "Please, he's my son!"

Snotlout was badly hurt by now and was seeing stars, bruised and bleeding badly, crying out, tears mixing with the blood on his face, trembling with pain, smarting all over. "Mmmm mmmm mmmm!" He was sobbing like a little child, tasting blood, the cloths in his mouth now soaked a bright red.

Again, Ryker's fist grabbed Snotlout's hair. A few tears fell from the Rider's eyes as they watched Ryker kick and punch Snotlout over and over and over until he was thrown to the ground again and lay crying, not even able to open his eyes as the tears kept coming.

By now, Spitelout had started crying, looking away in horror, whimpering, his heart wrenching with pain. "Pl-pl-ple-please stop! Please don't hurt him no mores, please!" He begged, voice cracking as he choked on a sob.

The Riders could hear Spitelout crying and they cringed with horror, Hiccup pulling Astrid to his chest as she whimpered, tears leaking from her eyes, both looking pained, Hiccup trembling against her.

Viggo heard Spitelout's crying too and something flickered in his eyes, a snap echoing in the air as he snapped his fingers.

Ryker looked over and scowled, lowering his foot, walking away from Snotlout to stand beside his younger brother.

Snotlout continued to sob from the ground, crying out as he laid unmoving, helpless, whimpering, eyes squeezed shut. All he could hear in his brain was Spitelout's yelling, his harsh words stinging Snotlout's heart, emotionally crushing him.

Seeing Ryker stop the Riders looked over with fear at their friend with open mouths, eyes wide in horror to see him remain on the ground, crying loudly, looking completely broken.

Gaping, the Riders were crushed. Snotlout never cried; to see him crying like this was abnormally scary.

Viggo was smiling as he watched. "Now you know what to expect if any one of you tries to defy me. You will listen and work for me, or the boy will receive another beating jus' like this one. Only worse."

"What could be worse than utter humiliation?" Tuffnut whispered lowly to his sister with a deep frown, almost gulping, sharing a worried look with her, Ruff's eyes brimmed with tears.

"Viggo," Spitelout choked out, sniffling, his face pained between angry and fear. "I swear to Thor, I-I will kill you for this!" He managed a glare and a threatening point of a finger, emotionally enraged.

Viggo turned to glance at him, not at all worried by the threat. Slowly, he began making his way to Snotlout.

"Don't you dare hurt him anymore!" Hiccup gripped the bars of their cell tightly, voice a snarl.

Snotlout was still crying, sniffling, shaking his head no as Spitelout's shouting played through his mind non-stop, over and over again, punch after punch. It never stopped.

Viggo grabbed the back of Snotlout's tunic with a fist and picked him up, the boy letting out a frightened squeak, going rigid, Viggo walking over to Spitelout's cell.

He held Snotlout out as he approached, watching Spitelout closely whose eyes went wide.

"Look at him, look at him! You did this to him." Viggo glowered, continuing to hold Snotlout up, eyes narrowed.

From behind the Riders gawked, watching and listening with furrowed eyes, tense and frightened.

Spitelout's mouth gaped himself, eyebrows furrowed, looking at his son, eyes locked on him, his hands gripping the bars tightly with anxiousness. _He was so close to him if only Viggo would come closer!_

Snotlout hung limp in Viggo's grip, whimpering as he cried, keeping his eyes shut tightly, hanging his head down, blood running down his face and staining his tunic, looking completely helpless.

"You did this to him," Viggo continued. "Look at him. Does this mean nothing to you?!" He almost spat, holding out Snotlout closer, who managed to peek open his eyes with a sniffle.

Spitelout's fist instantly lashed out to grab his son but Viggo jerked him back immediately. Snotlout let out a yelp when he saw his father's hand coming out towards him and immediately whimpered and started to kick, shaking his head no as he cried, not knowing his father was trying to save him, instead thinking he was getting another beating, not even aware of what was going on around him, still in shock from getting beat up and experiencing another episode.

Spitelout snarled at Viggo, not noticing Snotlout's reaction, reaching out his hand desperately. "He's my son, give him to me!" He shouted.

"Fine then take him!" Viggo snarled and threw Snotlout at the man's cell carelessly, Snotlout hitting the ground hard.

"Son!" Spitelout cried and reached out instantly.

Snotlout screamed at the hand and shook his head no hurriedly, quickly using his legs to scramble away on his back, his hands still tied behind him, whimpering in fear as he instantly kicked himself away, looking up at his father with terror in his eyes as he cowered, not wanting him to hurt him again.

Spitelout didn't understand and reached out again desperately, going wide-eyed as his son scooted away from him. "Snotlout!"

Snotlout scooted away until his back bumped into Viggo's feet, whimpering, curling into a ball up against him as if he would protect him, shaking like a terrified animal as he looked up at his father with horror in his eyes, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes as he awaited his next beating, which he didn't even know wasn't happening.

Spitelout stared at his son, eyes flashing as he saw the horror in his son's eyes, eyebrows furrowing at him when he didn't try to get away, just lying there helplessly, not understanding that his son was scared of _him_ and not Viggo.

Viggo let out a tsk-tsk sound at Spitelout with a dark look, scowling at him, voice going to a whisper. "You see, this is what happens when you beat your own son."

Spitelout's eyes widened with horror and shock, mouth dropping open, his entire body going rigid.

Viggo reached down and picked up Snotlout, who whimpered and continued to stare at his father with fear as Viggo started carrying him off.

Spitelout stood and practically threw himself onto the bars of his cell with desperation, eyes wide with terror as he reached out. "Wait, wait, give me my son back, please, PLEASE!" He begged, sounding scared.

Viggo only walked out silently, taking the crying Snotlout with him, Ryker following after.

When they were out of sight, Spitelout's chest heaved and he almost stumbled on his feet as his head suddenly stormed with dizziness and horror, falling back and landing on the walls of his cell, still taken aback from Viggo's words, eyes wide with fear, realization striking his chest.

The riders who had been watching them, watched with confusion and fear, eyebrows furrowed at Spitelout in his cell.

"Uhhh, what just happened?" Tuffnut questioned aloud to his friends, not understanding. Neither did the Riders and nobody gave him an answer.

* * *

"Well, that sure did feel good." Viggo smirked with pride as he and his brother returned to the Clubhouse, tossing aside Snotlout to the ground carelessly, continuing to walk with Ryker, who snorted in agreement, quite pleased as well.

"Aye Viggo, it sure did." He clenched his hands into fists, eyes narrowing at his right hand, his knuckles bruising. "Ah, but that bloody boy sure did a Hell of a job on me, damn."

Viggo stopped listening to him mid-sentence, eyebrows furrowing as he heard muffled crying, turning his head to look at Snotlout, slowly coming over.

The boy was curled up into a ball, still crying, looking completely scared and helpless.

Viggo knew this was because of Spitelout, he knew that Spitelout's constant beating on his son had now completely traumatized the boy whenever he encountered pain. He knew this because he had seen it plenty of times before, including with his own brother.

Coming over, Viggo eyed Snotlout closely, keeping quiet and calm, bending down in front of him when he came near, cocking his head a little when he noticed Snotlout was chewing on his gag amongst his tears, biting down again and again, the gags still tied tightly into his mouth, though by now they were soaked with his blood and saliva.

"You shouldn't do that," Viggo started as he watched. "Bad for yer teeth."

He reached forward and gently took the boy's gags out, Snotlout opening his jaw wider for him, sniffling, whimpering out louder when they were gone, his head laid down against the floor tiredly.

"Daddy said I have to." He winced as pain struck him again from his stomach, smarting and hurting everywhere. "He forced me to whenever he used to shut me up."

Viggo's eyes flickered, watching him, Snotlout unable to keep his eyes open he was so exhausted and pained. "Well don't. I'll get you new gags though, don't worry."

Snotlout hardly heard and he squeezed his eyes shut tight as he coughed painfully, letting out a loud groan, needing a doctor badly, frowning deeply with pain, miserable.

Viggo eyed him over, eyes flickering at the groan, eyeing Snotlout's bound wrists behind his back, staring at the rope tied tightly, the boy's hands stuck out uselessly, fingers drooping. "You're in very deep pain. How often did he hurt you, Snotlout?"

Snotlout let out a whimper as he sniffled, frowning deeply, refusing to open his eyes, swallowing hard. "A-All-All the time." He choked out, emotionally flinching as he once again remembered.

 _"Hold still, little one."_

 _Snotlout whimpered as his mother wiped at his face with a wet rag, cleaning his wounds. He sniffled as he clung tightly to her, nestled into the warmth of her rising and falling chest._

 _"Wh-Why does Daddy hate me so much, Mommy?" He whimpered, looking up at her with frightened eyes._

 _June frowned at him deeply, continuing to clean up his cuts. "He doesn't hate you, baby. He loves you very much."_

 _"No he doesn't. He-He always hurts me." Snotlout closed his eyes shut tightly, swallowing hard, tears running down his face._

 _"He still loves you, dear. He jus'…..doesn't know any better." She bit her lip softly, cleaning up Snotlout's arm where Spitelout had scratched him._

 _Snotlout flinched and sniffled, lip quivering. "I-I don't want Daddy to hurt me anymore! I-I want a new Daddy! Someone who-who loves me…..someone like Stoick, h-he-he loves Hiccup!" The boy cried, wiping at his eyes._

 _June frowned deeply at him, swallowing hard. "Oh son. You don't want a new Daddy, you love your father."_

 _"No, no I don't!" Snotlout choked on a sob, shaking his head no. "H-He's mean! H-He doesn't love me….."_

 _"Oh son…." His mother hugged him tightly, her eyes getting a little watery. "He loves you so much….." She whispered softly. "He only hurts you because his father used to hurt him too."_

 _Snotlout peeked an eye open at her with a sniffle, frowning. "Daddy used to get h-hurt too?"_

 _June nodded quietly. "Aye. After his brother died. He jus' doesn't know better. But he loves you so much, Snotlout. As do I." She kissed the top of his head softly._

 _Snotlout continued to cuddle against her, sniffling. "I-I love you too, Mommy. B-Bu-But Daddy…..why can't he love me?" Silent tears trailed down his cheeks, lip quivering as his big, innocent eyes searched her face, desperate for an answer._

 _June opened her mouth to respond but the front door suddenly swung open, Spitelout strolling in, axe carried over his shoulder._

 _Snotlout gasped softly at the sight of him and hid his face into his mother's fur tunic but June got up and gently sat him back into the chair, marching after her husband._

 _"Ye want to explain to me why our son is hurt and bleeding?! And why he was left alone trapped in his room?!"_

 _Spitelout frowned as he continued to walk past, waving her off. "Ah, jus' had to teach him a little lesson. Kept 'im in his room while I went off to work, it wasn't no harm, he's fine….."_

 _June almost growled at him, grabbing Spitelout's ear and pulling hard, the man crying out as she forcibly turned him around. "Ahhh! Wha—"_

 _"Look at yer son, jus' look at him!"_

 _Snotlout flinched and cowered from where he stood on the floor, gaping as he watched them, frowning deeply as he saw his father look at him._

 _"You did this to him!" His mother accused Spitelout with a yell, who eyed the blood on Snotlout's face. "YOU hurt our son! Again!" June cried, shoving him away in anger and disgust._

 _"He's fine!" Spitelout growled, eyes narrowing at her, his axe now at his side in his hand. "Same thing happened to me and I turned out okay." He waved her off and turned to walk away again._

 _"Spitelout, you cannot keep hurting him," His wife growled. "You're going to traumatize him!"_

 _Spitelout whipped around, green eyes furious. "I'll keep hurting him as I please! Me father beat me for every little thing I did and that's how I'm goin' to raise him! If he wasn't such a damn screw-up—"_

 _Now June snarled, ripping his axe out of his hand and pointing it threateningly at his face, shaking, eyes brimmed with tears. "You're going to stop hurting him, he's our son! Just because your father hurt you doesn't mean you have to hurt him! You don't have to be so heartless to your own babe!" Tears fell from her eyes and she shoved the axe into his arms as she hurried past him, disappearing elsewhere._

 _Spitelout scowled in fury, eyes narrowed as he turned and started marching away to go upstairs, fists clenched angrily._

 _He stopped suddenly when he saw Snotlout standing in front of the stairs, blocking his path, the boy having been watching and listening to the entire thing, sniveling and looking scared, cowering._

 _Spitelout snarled at him. "Rrr, get out of my way!" He practically roared, glaring down at him in hate._

 _Snotlout flinched and burst into tears, quickly running off as he cried, hurrying to go retreat to his mother, making Spitelout scowl angrily as he watched him run off, his expression suddenly softening afterwards, shoulders drooping as guilt filled his chest, sighing as he slowly went upstairs._

 _He hadn't meant to yell at his son._

 _He hadn't meant to scare him._

A touch on the back of his hair drew Snotlout away from his thoughts, flinching a little at the touch, sucking in a shaky breath as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly with fear.

"I understand." Viggo stroked the back of Snotlout's hair momentarily, frowning when he pulled it away, discovering blood on his palm. "Our father, he used to do the same to us. His behavior….infuriated me."

Snotlout peeked an eye open with a frown, attempting to lift his head up to try to sit up but he immediately winced, head dropping back to the floor helplessly with a low grumble of pain, shifting his legs a little, whimpering as another groan escaped his lips, his ribs striking him with pain.

He almost started crying again and a sort of sob came from him, helpless.

Viggo watched and frowned, eyeing the blood staining Snotlout's tunic around his stomach, almost feeling sorry for him.

Giving Snotlout's head a soft pat, he stood and walked away, fetching what he needed. Snotlout never even noticed he left, wincing from all the pain as his chest rose and fell slowly as he breathed, it hurting to exhale, his breathing rugged, groaning again, in need of a doctor as well as some food and water.

Viggo returned, this time going behind Snotlout, a syringe-looking device in his hand, a needle attached to the end. He grabbed Snotlout's hair and lifted the boy's head up.

Snotlout gasped with a squeak and a soft "No" escaped him, not daring to move, teeth gritted together in pain.

Viggo held his head up and inserted the needle into his neck, pressing down on the syringe until all the liquid was injected into Snotlout's bloodstream. The boy winced and his lip quivered but he didn't make a sound.

Gently Viggo lowered the boy's head back to the floor and Snotlout let out a coughing sound, groaning again, this time attempting to move around, wincing, able to sense Viggo's movement around him, making him whimper.

"Shhh, shhh, you're alright….don't move. " Viggo murmured lowly as he came in front of him, gently laying a hand on Snotlout's shoulder, who stopped.

Snotlout's eyes peeked open with a faint whimper and saw him balling a thick wad of cloth up in his hands. "Open." He heard him command and frowning deeply, remembering his father's threats, as if it was him who was gagging him once more, Snotlout opened his mouth, closing his eyes tightly.

"Thatta boy." Viggo almost smiled. He pushed the cloth between his teeth and got another in, making sure Snotlout bit down as he triple-knotted the cloth behind his head, pushing the cloths in further with a finger, satisfied when he saw the one slide into the boy's gap in his teeth.

He patted the boy's bloody cheek gently, standing. "You don't have to chew on these ones, either." He then walked away, leaving Snotlout who didn't move or make any sound.

Ryker had been watching and eyed the syringe in Viggo's hand. "Uh, what exactly did you give 'em?" He asked lowly.

Viggo held up the syringe in his hand with a smirk, fingers sliding up the needle. "Modified Slitherwing venom. It won't kill him but very soon he will be extremely ill and weak. Figured that would teach his father a lesson."

They glanced over at Snotlout, who remained motionless on the floor, a soft groan escaping his lips however.

Ryker frowned a little. "Okay, but we need the hostage alive, Viggo."

"Of course, big brother. We won't let him die. All part of the plan. Now, take Snotlout away and get me Spitelout. I have work to do."

* * *

"Hiccup, what are we—"

"Okay, first thing we need to do, is send for backup." Hiccup instructed, interrupting Fishlegs. "We'll send a terror-mail to Berk."

The guards, Viggo and Ryker had just walked out and they were left in the stables unguarded, but luckily the door to the stables had remained open.

Hiccup whistled lowly, waiting. A Terrible Terror flapped in momentarily, coming over.

Fishlegs got out a paper and charcoal pencil from his bag, giving it to Hiccup who hurriedly began to write.

 **Need Reinforcements at the Edge. It's Viggo and Ryker. We need Stoick, Gobber and Gothi. Snotlout's been taken hostage. His mother should probably come too. Please hurry.**

 **Hiccup.**

Hiccup signed it then wrapped up the paper, tying it to the Terror's leg, the Dragon quickly flying off.

"Okay, we need to get out of here. Then, we need to free the dragons and get Snotlout. Make sure we get Hookfang free first."

"Hiccup, what about Snotlout? We have to hurry!" Fishlegs frowned deeply, eyes worried.

"I know Fishlegs, I know, I'm scared too. But we can't do anything until we get ourselves free first."

"And what about him?" Tuffnut pointed across the room to Spitelout in his cell, who was hidden in the corner, sitting atop a barrel, not listening to their escape plan. "Hey, Spitelout!" Tuffnut called out to him.

"Tuff, please, not right now. He needs time to himself, you know this is hard for him." Hiccup frowned at his friends, swallowing hard. "Okay, we need a plan to get free. Anybody got one?"

From his cell, Spitelout sat, head hanging down, a finger pinching the bridge of his nose. A deep frown was etched onto his face.

He was trying not to cry.

"This is what happens when you beat your own son."

The words rang through his head, repeating themselves over and over and Spitelout was forced to remember.

 _"Daddy no!"_

 _"Ye little scum! Come here! When I'm through with you-!" His father roared, snatching him from the floor._

 _Spitelout screamed and cried, pleading for his father to stop, yelping when he was thrown down, tasting blood. "D-Daddy!" He sobbed._

 _Achelout snarled down at him, fists balled as he loomed over his son. "Yer nothin' but a screw-up, Spitelout, why are ye even here? Certainly ye ain't my son! Yer brother, he-he was perfect and now I'm stuck with you instead!" His father roared, kicking him._

 _Spitelout yelped and whimpered, trembling, remembering his older brother Nibblelout, who had been kidnapped and killed by pirates over a year ago. Now, being the only child, his father beat him around the clock, pointing out all of the boy's mistakes and flaws because Thor knows he could never be as perfect as his brother had been._

 _Spitelout continued to cower on the floor, vulnerable and hurt. "D-Daddy, I-I'm sorry." He whimpered out with honesty._

 _"Shut up! And don't call me Daddy! Ye ain't my son, I'm disowning you! I wish you woulda been the one to die instead of him! I Hope you rot in Valhalla someday because I hate you!"_

 _His father stormed out, slamming the door shut loudly, leaving his crying son alone carelessly._

A tear escaped Spitelout's eye, falling down his cheek, dripping onto the floor, face scrunched up with pain.

 _"You shouldn't do that, you know." Stoick's voice floated into Spitelout's ear, who turned._

 _"Do what?"_

 _"Hit your son like that." Stoick nodded to Snotlout who was darting off to hide with a whimper, his father just having smacked him across the face for being too loud._

 _Spitelout's nose wrinkled, as if he didn't understand. "He's fine. He's my son. He's gotta learn. Ye should be doin' the same with yer boy too, really." He huffed, picking at his nails._

 _"And what kind of father would that make me?" Stoick sent him a look and Spitelout just looked confused, snorting._

 _"Well I don't know….!" He shook his head, rolling his eyes._

 _After the two had their meeting, Spitelout said goodbye to his chief, then went to find his son._

 _He found him behind a support beam, playing with Hiccup._

 _"Come on son, time to go home."_

 _Snotlout turned around, eyes big. "Aw Dad, can't I stay pwease? I wanna pway some more with Hiccup!" He pointed to his friend who sat on the floor, smiling up at him._

 _"No son, it's time to go." Spitelout frowned at him._

 _"But daddy, I wanna—" Spitelout's palm smacked him hard, snatching up his son's arm._

 _"I said no! Now come on!" He snapped, dragging Snotlout away who whimpered, holding his cheek gingerly, looking back at Hiccup with watery eyes, frowning deeply with a sniffle as he went off with his father._

 _Little Hiccup watched them go with big eyes, his mouth open with a frown, looking up as Stoick scooped him up. "Daddy, why does Snotlout's daddy hurt him?"_

 _Stoick frowned himself, letting out a sigh. "I wish I could tell ya, son."_

 _"Is-Is it 'cause Snotlout's bad?" Hiccup asked innocently._

 _"No son, no it's not. Sometimes a father doesn't realize the gift of a child he's been given…."_

Spitelout pinched the bridge of his nose harder, eyes squeezed shut tightly.

 _"Aye Stoick, I'm back." Spitelout opened the door as he walked into his Chief's house, smiling, reaching down and ruffling Hiccup's hair gently as he came over._

 _"Aye, hey Spitelout." The Chief looked up from his stew at the table._

 _The chief of Berk had been watching over Spitelout's son for him._

 _Little Snotlout carried his bowl of stew over to the table for supper, tripping suddenly, the stew going everywhere. "Oops." Snotlout frowned deeply, knowing he had messed up._

 _"Gah!" Spitelout let out a sigh of frustration, throwing his hands up and shaking his head, embarrassed as he stepped back, wishing to Thor himself his son wasn't so clumsy._

 _Snotlout picked himself up and frowned at Stoick who came over. "I-I'm sorry."_

 _"Aye, it's alright son. Ye apologized. Jus' try to be more careful next time, alright?"_

 _Spitelout's eyebrows furrowed incredously, coming over. "Ye won't get him to listen to you like that, Stoick! How many times have I told you to be more careful son?!" He shouted, punching his son hard with a fist, sending him into the wall, who yelped in pain._

 _Spitelout stomped closer to him, glaring with anger as he raised his fist, Snotlout gasping and looking up with fear as he cowered. "Do ye have to be so—"_

 _"Spitelout!" Stoick was suddenly in front of him, grabbing his fist as he swung, looking outraged. "If you hit that boy again, I will personally pummel you myself." He growled lowly._

 _Spitelout glared with anger and looked down, eyes widening when he saw Snotlout now clinging to Stoick's leg, peeking his head out fearfully as he shook from behind him._

 _Spitelout blinked, as if he suddenly realized what he had just done, looking guilty._

 _He started to step back, suddenly dizzy. "Aye, ex-excuse me." He then turned and walked away, letting himself out the door._

 _"Aye, it's okay now, Snotlout." Stoick reached down and gently scooped him up, his touch gentle. "No need to be scared anymore."_

 _Snotlout trembled and frowned deeply, hiding part of his face into Stoick's fur tunic, looking at the closed door where his father had just walked out fearfully, almost hoping he wouldn't come back inside._

A few more tears leaked from Spitelout's eyes, even though he was trying his hardest not to cry. The last time he could even remember crying was when Snotlout was born and that had been out of joy.

But now, he was about to lose Snotlout and he was crying with the fear that he might actually lose his son forever.

All he could picture was his son's frightened eyes as they stared up at him and Spitelout had never seen Snotlout look at him that way before. (He had, but he had always been so angry, he never noticed.)

Guilt was squeezing at his chest and he had never felt this pained and never had he longed so much to see his son again, desperate to apologize.

Suddenly he heard a noise and looked up, seeing Ryker and another Hunter approaching his cell.

Eyes narrowing, Spitelout stood, coming over to glare. "Where is my son?" He demanded lowly, his mouth forming a scowl.

"Not here." Ryker stated. "But you're comin' with us." He unlocked the cell, starting for him.

Spitelout snarled, but let them grab him by his arms, growling as they started pushing at him to walk, leaving the stables.

Frowning, unsure of what to expect, he glanced over at Hiccup and the kids in their cell, swallowing hard as all he could think of was Snotlout, wondering if his son would even forgive him.

They took Spitelout to the clubhouse, where Viggo was anxiously waiting, looking at Spitelout as he entered, his expression calm as he clasped his hands behind his back.

Spitelout's anger had returned and he panted heavily, snarling at Viggo as he neared him. "Where's Snotlout? Where is he?!"

Viggo shrugged, amused. "Not here, I'm afraid. Though such a pity, I so would have wanted him to see this."

Spitelout growled, infuriated, trying to lash out at Viggo but his arms were still held back. "How did you know I beat him? Did Snotlout tell you that?!"

"No. He didn't have to." Viggo almost spat, eyes flashing with anger. "I already figured it out." Viggo then punched Spitelout hard, surprisingly knocking him out of the mens' grasps, falling back to the floor with a growl of pain.

He sat up with a murderous look in his eyes, holding his jaw, eyes locked on Viggo, swearing to Odin that he was going to kill him.

Viggo watched him too. "Get him." He suddenly gave the order and the Hunters started for him, several of them rushing towards him.

Spitelout hopped to his feet with a snarl but got tackled down and soon several men were holding him down, trapping him.

"Rrrahhh, get off me!" Spitelout snarled and fought and being a large man of a Viking, it took quite a lot of Hunters to hold him down and keep him still.

A manacle was brought over by one of the Hunters and the men scrambled to hold Spitelout's arms still, finally managing to get the cuffs locked around his wrists tightly.

Spitelout kicked and fought, snarling, not liking how there were so many of them holding him down, squirming like a frightened animal, snarling at his newly bound wrists, tugging at the manacle uselessly. "Grraahhh! Let go of me!" He yelled.

A rag was handed to Ryker from Viggo and the men continued to hold down Spitelout forceably, a foot keeping the man's face pressed down into the floorboards very harshly, his face now smarting with pain, scrunched up.

Ryker struggled at his attempts to get the rag into Spitelout's mouth as the man would not stop squirming, thrashing his head around everywhere under the foot as if he could get away.

Ryker snarled in anger but finally managed to force it between Spitelout's teeth, yanking it behind his head as he tied the knot.

Spitelout snarled as he was now forced to bite down, not stopping his struggling and constant jerking, panting heavily at the foot literally squishing his face into the floor, swearing.

More rags were handed to Ryker and the man tied more of them into Spitelout's mouth, the Viking now biting down completely on the cloths, his mouth stuffed, his shouting now completely muffled.

Spitelout growled but by this point he was getting tired and his frantic squirming suddenly stopped, attempting to catch his breath, wishing the boot pressing his face down would let up already, painfully getting squished beneath it.

He opened his eyes with a glare to see Viggo, letting out a muffled growl but not moving.

Viggo eyed him biting down on his gags, hands trapped behind him in the manacle, not moving, knowing he had won.

"Take him away. Let him rot somewhere." Viggo growled lowly at his men, who immediately complied, hoisting Spitelout up, dragging him off.

Spitelout growled out as he stumbled, biting down tightly on his gags as he was taken away, suddenly remembering Snotlout and whether or not he would see him again, a deep frown forming.

He let out a sort of whimper and jerked weakly but even he knew it was pointless to try and fight as he was taken away, sniffling lowly, just wishing he could see his son again, to get the chance to apologize to him, for everything.

* * *

"Okay guys, this is serious, we need a plan, we have to come up with something!" Hiccup frowned at his friends now that Spitelout had been taken away.

"I got it! What if we dig underneath the stables and then pop up from underground? Viggo will never see it coming!" Tuffnut grinned excitedly.

"That won't work, Tuffnut." Hiccup sighed with frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Okay, well have Ruffnut woo one of the guards and-"

"No…." Astrid shook her head with a narrowed look, scowling.

"Okay, well have Fishlegs woo the guard and—"

"Guys, please," Hiccup practically begged. "We have to get out of here, we have to rescue Snotlout! There's gotta be something that doesn't involve wooing or digging or—"

"Chicken!" Tuffnut grinned.

"What?" Hiccup frowned at him.

"Chicken!" Tuffnut repeated, smiling as he pointed to his pet who clucked as she came up to their cell. "She can get us out of here."

"Uhh, she-she-she can?" Hiccup questioned.

"Of course. She knows what to do." Tuffnut smirked, watching as Chicken ruffled her feathers with a squawk, turning to strut out of the stables, the Riders all watching her until she was gone.

Then it was quiet as they all stared, waiting.

"Well that didn't work." Fishlegs glared at the twins.

"What? But you didn't even give her a chance to—"

"He's right, Tuff," Astrid frowned at him. "We need a real plan that will actually work and actually get us out of here."

"Oh so the key that Chicken just got won't get us out of here?" Tuffnut frowned in confusion.

The riders frowned and turned to see Chicken strutting over, key in her beak. "What?" Astrid looked shocked.

Hiccup managed a smile, laughing. "Chicken! Good job!" He took the key from her, hurrying to unlock their cell.

When it was free, they all sprinted out. "Okay, free the dragons first." Hiccup huffed. "Then we find Spitelout and Snotlout. Got it?"

"Got it!" They jogged after him, hurrying out, looking around for any guards in case they got caught.

Hookfang looked blazing mad when they got to him, the dragon trapped helplessly in his cage, banging his snout against the walls, wanting out, now.

He roared when he saw Hiccup and the others, looking surprised. Hiccup fumbled with the key, hurrying to unlock it for him. "Hey Hookfang….! Okay now go, go find Snotlout!"

The Nightmare burst out and instantly took off, roaring furiously, eyes narrowed as he started off in search of his beloved rider, knowing he had to find him and quickly.

He flew straight for the huts and snarled as he lit himself aflame, bursting straight through the walls of the twins' hut, sniffing and scrambling through the building in search of Snotlout, not caring if he was setting their possessions and hut on fire, just wanting his rider.

He snorted when Snotlout wasn't there and next burst into Fishlegs' hut, doing the same, sniffing and knocking everything over with his snout, roaring with narrowed eyes as he searched.

From the clubhouse, Viggo heard the commotion and yelling of his Hunters, spotting Fishlegs' hut on fire, eyes narrowing. "Something's wrong…..get me Snotlout!" He commanded urgently, not willing to lose his hostage.

Hookfang snarled and flew aflame through Fishlegs' roof, leaving the entire hut burning behind him as he now burst through the walls of Hiccup's hut, knocking everything over as he scrambled around, searching for Snotlout's scent.

Suddenly he picked up a different scent, head raising in alarm. It wasn't his rider's but his rider's father's scent and Hookfang looked over, spotting the Viking trapped against a wooden pole, the man completely tied up, some funny looking things tied into his mouth.

Hookfang roared and hurried over, sniffing Spitelout anxiously, smelling fear but not Snotlout, snorting as he doused his flames, angry he wasn't his rider.

Growling lowly, he went around him and lifted a wing, using a long claw to slice through the rope that kept Spitelout tied to the pole, freeing him.

Spitelout pulled away hurriedly and yanked and spat away his gags, relieved to see the dragon. "Thatta boy, Hooky! Now come on, let's get Snotlout!" He urged, hopping quickly onto Hookfang's neck.

Hookfang roared in agreement and was already taking off, flying off through the giant hole he made in Hiccup's hut, bursting out, flying rapidly as Spitelout held onto his horns tightly.

Spitelout looked around desperately, spotting Viggo in the clubhouse, Snotlout trapped within his grasp. "There!" He snarled and Hookfang immediately turned with a roar, diving straight for the clubhouse, shooting a blast of fire straight at Viggo when they were close enough.

Viggo yelped and jumped aside, his arm wrapped tightly around Snotlout's throat, who cried out in alarm.

"Easy laddie, don't barbecue me own son!" Spitelout frowned a little as they dove for them. "Jus' get me in there!"

Hookfang snarled and dove, smacking Viggo with his tail as soon as he was close enough. Unfortunately he had to smack Snotlout too but he tumbled aside, out of harm's way. Viggo hit the wall harshly with a painful gasp and jumped away when Hookfang fired at him, flames nearly hitting him dead on.

Hookfang roared furiously as he glared around, Spitelout jumping down off his neck with a war cry to go after Viggo, Hookfang's head whipping around to Ryker, slamming the man down to his back, trapping him with his massive talons.

He roared furiously into Ryker's face, not caring if the man cried out or struggled, shooting a puff of smoke into his face from his nostrils, eyes narrowed into slits. He then bit into the man's leg with a growl, allowing blood to draw as he bit down, tossing the man out of the clubhouse with a roar, snorting.

Ryker screamed and plummeted through the air, Stormfly catching him with her own claws, Astrid glaring at Ryker with a huff. "We got 'em!"

Spitelout was ontop of Viggo meanwhile, literally ontop of him, slugging the living daylights out of him, doing everything in his power to harm him, blood smearing his knuckles, snarling furiously as he swore and cussed him out, outraged.

Having taken care of the Hunters, Hookfang scrambled over to his rider on the floor with a warble, wrapping his body around him protectively in case anyone tried to get to him again, nudging Snotlout's arm with a worried look, eyes big.

His rider opened his eyes but didn't move and Hookfang could smell pain all over him, infuriating him, warbling lowly as he sniffed him, smelling blood, frowning at the weird things in Snotlout's mouth, wanting to hear his rider's voice.

"Rrraaaahhhh! You little-! This is what you get for hurting my son you devil! You and your sick, twisted mind! I'm gonna—"

"Spitelout, Spitelout stop!" Hiccup cried out as he flew up on Toothless. "You're going to kill him!"

Blood coated Viggo's face everywhere and he was barely conscious, hardly moving, completely limp by now.

"That's the point, boy-o!" Spitelout shouted, though he had stopped punching the man, getting up when Hiccup came over.

"It's alright, we got him." He gave a nod to the man, letting him know it was okay now. "Get to Snotlout."

Spitelout didn't hesitate and turned, rushing over to his son kept hidden under his dragon's massive form. "Good job, Hooky." He praised the Nightmare with relief, who allowed Spitelout to come near, the man grabbing his son instantly, overjoyed.

"Snotlout! Thank Thor!" He cried and got the ropes off his son hurriedly, ripping the gags away from his mouth, holding him close to him.

Snotlout's eyes blinked open, squinting at him. "Daddy?" He almost croaked, Spitelout hugging him tightly, smiling widely, eyes watery with tears of relief. "Oh son!"

Snotlout grinned when he saw it was his father and overjoyed himself, hugged him back gratefully, glad to be in his father's arms again.

Spitelout rarely hugged his son but now he hugged his son tighter than ever, a smile of pure relief upon his face.

Suddenly he heard a whimper, feeling his son's weight go limp, the boy's legs buckling, gasping in horror when Snotlout let go of him and dropped to the ground, Hookfang crying out too.

"Snotlout!" Spitelout cried and looked at his son who lay slumped on his side, his face white, unmoving as his face was crumpled up in pain, a few whimpers and coughs escaping him.

Spitelout began to shake, staring down at his son in horror. "S-S-Something's wrong, something's wrong with him! Somebody help him, what's wrong with him?!" He cried out, shaking his son a little who didn't move, but trembled and wheezed, sweat running down his pale face.

Hiccup rushed over and gasped when he came and saw his friend, reaching a finger to Snotlout's neck to feel a pulse.

Snotlout coughed weakly, whimpering with pain, face scrunched up as he could hardly breathe, moaning with pain.

Hiccup stood with a gulp, eyes filled with horror as he stared at his friend. "V-Vi-Viggo must have done something to him, he must have gave him something!" His voice shook with fear. "F-Fishlegs!"

A sort of noise came out of Snotlout's mouth as he lay crumpled up amongst the floor, his hair sticking to his face with sweat, his face abnormally white.

Fishlegs hurried over, taking Hiccup's place, frowning deeply as he too gaped with worry at Snotlout, looking him over.

Spitelout was fighting back tears, frightened. "What's wrong with him, what's wrong with my son?!" He begged, desperate to know.

Snotlout coughed again, sounding awful, whimpering and moaning with pain, his breathing rugged, wheezing loudly.

"H-H-He's extremely sick, I don't know!" Fishlegs whimpered out. "I need to try and give him some medicine or an antidote, and fast….!"

He started to scoop up Snotlout into his arms, who cried out at the movement, looking extremely pained, completely limp in Fishlegs' arms.

"Wait, wait, Snotlout!" Spitelout cried out and reached for him as Fishlegs turned away, not wanting to be without his son again, desperate.

Hookfang let out a low warble and placed his snout in front of him, looking at him with big eyes, wordlessly telling him to allow Fishlegs to take care of Snotlout, frowning deeply.

Spitelout's lip quivered and he drew in a shaky breath, but remained still, watching Fishlegs hurry out with his weak and injured son, praying to the Gods he'd be alright.

* * *

It wasn't long after that until Stoick finally arrived with reinforcements to Berk, the adults, including Gothi, hurrying off their dragons to help.

After having spoken to Hiccup, June Jorgenson rushed to Snotlout's hut, hurriedly letting herself in. "Where is he, where is he?!" She cried franctically, rushing over.

Spotting her husband sitting beside her son's bed, she hurried to him, grasping him as she looked worriedly at Snotlout, who lay in his bed unmoving, Hookfang and Fishlegs on either side of him.

"Spitelout, Spitelout, what happened to him?!" She cried with fear. "What's happened?!"

Spitelout gripped her arms gently, frowning deeply with pain in his eyes. "Easy lassie, h-he's sick, Viggo, he-he injected him with somethin', I-I…." His voice trailed off, closing his eyes tightly.

"I-It's okay, Mrs. Jorgenson," Fishlegs spoke softly. "I gave him some medicine that might help him. But, he is very weak." He frowned at them, swallowing hard.

June looked at her son with wide eyes, lip quivering, glancing at Hookfang whose snout hovered above Snotlout closely, letting out a sad warble. Holding back whimpers of her own, she laid her head on Spitelout's chest, needing his comfort, not taking her eyes off their son.

Spitelout swallowed hard, holding his wife's hand tightly, looking pained. "J-June, I-I—"

The door suddenly burst open and they turned to see Stoick hurrying over, Gobber, Hiccup and Gothi following behind.

"What's happened to him?" Stoick demanded as he eyed Snotlout with a worried look, wanting answers.

Spitelout frowned deeply and couldn't answer him, looking away, ashamed and almost embarrassed.

Luckily Fishlegs spoke. "Viggo gave him some kind of substance, I have no idea what but he injected it into Snotlout's bloodstream and now he's very sick and very weak. I gave him some medicine, but I don't know how to help him until I know what's wrong."

Stoick swallowed, frowning at them. "Well let Gothi look him over, maybe she'll know." Gothi was already going over to Snotlout, already inspecting him.

Gobber joined Hookfang at Snotlout's bed and Stoick looked at Spitelout. "Spitelout, are you alright?"

Frowning deeply as he rubbed his crying wife's back smoothly, Spitelout's mouth opened then closed, swallowing hard with embarrassment, looking as if he wanted to cry. "S-Stoick, I-I—"

"She says he's dying," Gobber suddenly spoke, voice low. "She has medicine for him but she doesn't know how long it'll be before he recovers."

Upon hearing this, June began to weep and pulled away from Spitelout to kneel beside her son's bed, taking his hand gently and holding onto it, crying with despair.

Hookfang frowned deeply and warbled sadly with big eyes, nudging Snotlout's other hand tenderly until it rested atop his snout, keeping it there.

Spitelout's mouth now hung open with fear, shocked with despair. _Snotlout is….dying?_

Pain overcome him and he started to turn away but couldn't, pinching the bridge of his nose momentarily, attempting to turn away again, shaking his head no, a faint whimper escaping him, eyes welled with tears.

"Spitelout?" Stoick eyed him, frowning.

Spitelout froze, having forgotten Stoick was even there, completely embarrassed. "Stoick, I-I-I-" He shook his head, tears threatening to fall.

Stoick recognized the pain on his face, extending his arms. "Easy lad, it's okay." He then hugged his second-in-command, the Viking beginning to cry at the hug, crying into the fur of Stoick's shoulders, wrapping his arms around him in need of comfort.

"I-I never meant for him to get hurt, Stoick," He was whimpering. "Th-This is my fault."

Stoick stood still, allowing him to cry, hugging him with comfort, father to father. "Aye, it's alright lad, it's alright."

Spitelout pulled away, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand, sniffling. "An-An' now, now me son is dying…." He choked out with a whimper, frowning deeply. "I can't lose him."

Stoick's hand gripped his shoulder gently. "He'll pull through, lad. It'll be alright." He reassured with his deep, soothing voice, eyes sincere.

Spitelout glanced over at his ill son with a frown, not sure if he believed him, swallowing hard as Gobber came over to his crying wife, pulling her into a hug as she weeped. "Easy lassie….."

Spitelout's heart ached and he slowly came beside the bed, gently taking his son's hand, running his thumb smoothly across it, sniffling as he stared at his son who remained unmoving.

"Oh son…..I-I'm so sorry." His voice broke and he hung his head in shame, praying his son would wake up.

"I'm so sorry….." He apologized again with a broken whisper, his silent tears plopping silently to the floor.

Later, after awhile of crying outside in an attempt to regain himself, he returned to his son's hut, wordlessly coming over to his wife who wept, holding Snotlout's hand tightly in her own, sniffling.

Frowning deeply, Spitelout gently tapped her on the shoulder, looking guilty. "Uh, June?" He frowned as she turned to look at him sadly, swallowing hard.

"I-I-I wanted to apologize…..to you and to our son. Th-Th-This is my fault and I-I'm so sorry." He whispered sadly with a broken voice, guilt-ridden.

"I'm so sorry I hurt him, I-I never meant to. If-If he wakes up, I-I promise to ye, I will never hurt him again, I promise."

June sniffled and eyed him sadly, looking straight in his eyes, offering a nod. "Thank you."

* * *

Spitelout never left his son's side, remaining there to hold his hand gently for comfort, making prayers to Thor and Odin Snotlout would wake up okay.

Hookfang never left his rider's side either, protectively watching over him, occasionally nudging his hand softly, warbling sadly.

It had been days but Snotlout still hadn't woken up. Gothi had given him her medicine but it didn't seem like it was working.

Now Spitelout sat alone with Hookfang, head hung down with shame, silently crying, continuing to pray as he held his son's limp hand in his own.

"D-Daddy?"

At first Spitelout thought he was imagining things or that Hookfang had somehow learned to speak, before he lifted his head, catching glimpse of two wide blue eyes peering curiously at him.

"Snotlout?" He whispered in disbelief.

The boy blinked at him innocently with an open mouth, as if waiting for an explanation of why his father was crying.

Seeing his son awake, Spitelout cried out with joy and laughed in spite of himself, wanting to embrace his son, gripping his son's arm happily with excitement. "Oh son! Yer alive, yer alive!"

Snotlout managed to smile and let out a little laugh himself, starting to sit up, wincing, still very weak.

"Easy, easy," Spitelout coaxed gently and helped him, Hookfang too.

Spitelout smiled widely with relief when his son sat up and he then hugged him tightly, careful not to squeeze him too hard.

"Oh son!" He cried out with a sniffle, tears escaping his eyes, though he was smiling.

Snotlout smiled too as he hugged him back, surprised. "Wh-Why are you crying so much?" He didn't think he had ever even seen his father crying.

Spitelout pulled away, laughing in spite of himself as he wiped at his eyes, smiling at his son happily. "O-Oh son, I-I-I'm so sorry…." His smile fell and formed into a frown, remembering his promise, guilt rising up inside him.

Snotlout frowned at him but the sound of the door opening made him turn away, seeing his mother coming inside.

"Mom!" He perked up with a smile, wanting her, overjoyed to see she was there.

June's head lifted up with a gasp, rushing over when she saw her son was sitting up, awake and well again. "Snotlout!"

She hurried over and embraced him, hugging him tightly with love, overjoyed. "Oh Snotlout!"

Snotlout smiled widely and beamed as he hugged her back, snuggling warmly into her chest, loving her deeply, eyes lit up with warm happiness as she nuzzled him affectionately.

Spitelout watched with curious admiration. He had never been affectionate to Snotlout but his wife had and watching the two nuzzle and hug each other tightly, made his heart sting with pain, longing to hug his son with just as much love.

Gently, he reached out and hugged them both, Snotlout embraced in the middle, Spitelout closing his eyes tightly with a smile, loving his family, feeling joy soar through his heart for the first time in years.

Snotlout's mother and father pulled away with a smile, his mother wiping at her eyes. "Oh son! We feared ye wouldn't make it…..! We're so happy yer okay!"

Snotlout beamed at his parents with joy, having missed their touch greatly, laughing softly as Hookfang's snout came near, patting his dragon's scales happily, the dragon smiling fondly at his rider, loving that he was awake again, roaring softly.

Spitelout was watching and gently, he tapped his son's shoulder with a finger, taking his hand.

Snotlout turned to him, looking at him expectantly, smile falling as he saw the seriousness etched onto his father's face.

"Snotlout," He started, voice very low and quiet, looking into his son's eyes. "I-I-I'm sorry. For everything. I'm sorry for everything I ever did to hurt ye. I-I didn't mean to. I love you, son. I'm sorry. I promise I'll never hurt ye again, ever."

He hung his head in shame, guilt evident in the frown on his face.

Snotlout's eyes turned sympathetic and Spitelout flinched a little when Snotlout suddenly hugged him, wrapping his arms around his father's neck gently, snuggling his face gently into his shoulder.

"Thanks, daddy." He whispered into his father's ear, letting him know he had forgiven him as he clung happily to him.

Spitelout gaped with surprise but then smiled as he gently wrapped his arms around his son, hugging him back, a wave of pride washing over him as the love between him and his son had been restored.

And Spitelout kept his promise. Never again did he ever hurt his son and he was grateful for

No fist could ever be nearly as powerfully affective as love.

 **A/N: Sorry if the ending was weak, idk. It was so fun writing this; have I mentioned how much I love Spitelout? He's so fun to write. And I love David Tennant so that makes it even more fun. If anyone has any suggestions for another Spitelout & Snotlout fic, please lemme know bc I will most likely gladly write them. After this, I swear it's the HTTYD 3 oneshot I said I would write a long time ago, i'm already writing it. If anybody has any suggestions for a Snotlout fic from HTTYD 3, plz lemme know. I would like to do some one-shots particularly with him and Eret as well as with Valka. Plz review your thoughts and give a request if you have any, thx :D**


	8. In Death's Grip

**A/N: Admittedly not one of my best works, I kinda gave up on this particular one tbh so sorry if it's trash...I could REALLY use some inspiration for new ideas so please please leave a request if you have any. Again, I'm planning to work on one-shots between Snotlout and Eret or Valka and then eventually with Minden. Ideas would be very helpful, thanks. So enjoy this trash one-shot if you can...**

 **Summary: My version of HTTYD 3 if Snotlout had accompanied Valka when she went back to see if they had been followed...**

 **In Death's Grip**

"So uh, great view up here, huh?!" Snotlout called with a grin, watching Cloudjumper's massive wings flap up and down again and again.

He continued to grin despite not receiving a response. "You know what the best part about flying is?! Nothing can touch you while you're up here! Ain't that right, Hookfang?" He smirked, patting his dragon's head who roared softly in response, flying closely behind Cloudjumper.

"Sure Snotlout!" Valka called back, shaking her head, trying to focus, flipping the top of her helmet up to see clearer.

"Hey uh, you know Hookfang is the toughest dragon next to Toothless! Jus' thought ya might wanna know!"

Valka shook her head, the boy being too much of a distraction for her. She knew she shouldn't have agreed to let him come with.

"Not that your dragon isn't tough I mean Cloudjumper is—"

The boy just kept talking and talking and Valka frowned as she tried to ignore him, peering ahead. Though she hoped they wouldn't find Grimmel, she could almost feel them approaching trouble, wondering if they should turn back.

"You know you never really say much, but that's cool I mean, I'm all for the silent, wild-dragon motherly kind." Snotlout was watching her, grinning. "My mom, I mean, she didn't exactly go off with dragons somewhere but she's like not nearly as cool as you I mean, you are like….awesome! Who knew that—"

Valka shook her head, barely listening, eyebrows furrowed as Cloudjumper continued to fly along, frowning as it was very difficult to see through the fog. Snotlout's constant talking didn't help any either.

Suddenly Valka gasped as the mast of a ship appeared in front of them out of nowhere, Cloudjumper quickly swerving to maneuver around it.

Snotlout gasped as Hookfang swerved too, eyes widening as he shut up, eyebrows furrowing as he looked ahead, tensing.

Suddenly he saw ships down below, hundreds of them, mouth falling open with shock, realizing it was Grimmel and he had been catching up to them.

Hookfang stayed close to Cloudjumper as they flew, Snotlout staring at all the ships, Grimmel's Deathgrippers suddenly coming into view ahead of them, carrying the man's weaponry as they flew along, making his eyes go narrow.

A roar suddenly erupted and a Deathgripper burst from the clouds, slamming into Cloudjumper with a snarl, Valka nearly falling to the sea below with a cry.

"Valka!" Snotlout gasped, looking down with horror to see if she was alright, eyes wide with fear, head whipping around with a gasp as he heard a second roar, another Deathgripper flying straight towards him and Hookfang.

"Look out!" He cried, Hookfang roaring as he tried to fly out of the way, the Deathgripper smashing into them, jabbing his tusks at Hookfang ferociously, Hookfang snarling as he clawed the dragon frantically to get him off, drawing blood.

Snotlout cried out as he fell off his saddle, gripping Hookfang's horn, desperately struggling to hang on as Hookfang flapped and thrashed everywhere, attempting to get back on. "Whoa, whoa aahh, help!"

The Deathgripper jabbed his stinger at Hookfang, who roared and thrashed around to avoid it, kicking and clawing at the Dragon to get him off, Snotlout still clinging desperately to his dragon's horn.

The Deathgripper was practically ontop of Hookfang now as they flapped through the air, roaring as Hookfang clawed at him, clawing back, spotting Snotlout, leaping for him with a snap of his teeth.

Snotlout flinched and let go of Hookfang with a cry, suddenly falling, reaching up for his dragon as he fell through the air. "Hookfang! Ahhhh!"

Hookfang cried out with a roar as he continued to kick at the snapping dragon, eyes going big when he saw Snotlout falling.

Snotlout screamed as he fell, terrified, sure he was falling to his death, yelping when he abruptly stopped falling, feeling his cape caught on something, his back suddenly slamming up against something hard, making him gasp, kicking his legs as he now dangled helplessly.

Eyes wide, he breathed heavily, assuming it was Cloudjumper who had caught him, relaxing a little as he could feel himself being carried through the air, feeling his arms brush up against claws, glancing up, gasping with horror when he saw it wasn't the Stormcutter but a Deathgripper, his cape caught on one of it's massive tusks.

Squirming and kicking frantically with panic, the boy cried out, trying to somehow get away. "Hookfang, Valka, help! Help!" He tried to reach for his cape but he couldn't reach it, dangling helplessly as the dragon carried him along, his back up against it's stomach, the Deathgripper growling at him.

Whimpering Snotlout kicked, desperate to get away, elbowing at the dragon's legs, tensing when he heard a loud whistle, gasping as the Deathgripper turned abruptly and changed direction, kicking as he looked for Hookfang and Valka, unable to see them through the fog.

"Help! Hookfang, Valka! Help! Help!" He cried, frightened by the dragon, wanting to be rescued, thrashing around to get away.

Frowning with fear, Snotlout realized they weren't going to save him as the Deathgrippers brought him father and father away, towards Grimmel's base.

Eyes narrowing, Snotlout jerked and kicked, elbowing at the one holding him. "Let go of me you creepy dragon! Put me down, let go of me!"

The Deathgripper obediently flew to Grimmel with the others, roaring softly as they approached, ignoring Snotlout's cries.

"Put me down! Let go of me!"

The Deathgripper brought his tusks back into his mouth, proudly tossing Snotlout onto the deck as his cape slid free, the boy landing on his stomach at Grimmel's feet.

Looking up, he gasped loudly at the sight of Grimmel, blue eyes widening with fear, freezing.

Grimmel cocked his head, not expecting his dragons to bring him a Rider, eyes narrowing as he peered down at Snotlout, realizing his Deathgrippers had brought him a hostage.

Frightened, eyes wide, Snotlout got off his stomach and began to scramble backwards on the floor, using his legs to get away, yelping when his back bumped up against another Deathgripper.

He jumped to his feet and whipped around to face them, breathing heavily with fear as the evil dragons eyed him, Snotlout gulping hard, starting to back away nervously, fists clenching shakily.

Grimmel had started to chuckle, getting up from his desk, watching with amusement. "Well," He laughed and sing-songed evilly. "This is certainly a surprise. Wasn't expecting to get a _hostage_ today…."

He grinned as he came up behind Snotlout, emphasizing the word hostage, grabbing a fistful of the boy's cape, yanking him back towards him harshly, Snotlout gasping with fear, holding back a whimper.

Grimmel smirked as he began to drag Snotlout off to a cell, pulling on his cape, eyes narrowed. "You'll make a great addition to my plan to take down Chief Hiccup."

Snotlout frowned deeply with fear, squirming and kicking, trying to get away but Grimmel held onto his cape firmly as he was dragged off. "L-Let go of me, let go!" He was really starting to get irritated with his cape by now, growling.

Grimmel completely ignored him, dragging the boy off to a cell, Deathgrippers following obediently behind.

He shoved Snotlout into the cell roughly with a growl, making the boy stumble, slamming the door shut, locking it.

By now Snotlout was angry and he came up to grip the bars of the cell with a glare. "Hey, you can't keep me in here! You're making a big mistake! I've been a hostage before you know; they're going to come and rescue me!"

Grimmel turned around to face him, smirking. "Oh I know. I'm counting on it."

Snotlout almost gasped, eyes widening as he saw the evil look in Grimmel's eye, knowing he meant taking down Hiccup, swallowing hard.

He couldn't be used as leverage, not to take down his friends!

Snotlout tried his best to look tough. "Th-They're going to beat you; you're going to lose!"

Grimmel shook his head with a laugh, quite amused. "Oh I am? Well then how come I've already won? Trust me, your dragon riding days are over….." He growled, smirk vanishing. "You and your chief Hiccup will be bowing down to me and my conquerors in no time. We just have to wait for him to arrive to…rescue you." He then chuckled darkly, walking off.

Snotlout gaped with a frown, gripping the bars of the cell tightly as he watched the man go, gulping hard.

 _Oh Hiccup, you better have a plan to get us all outta this…._

* * *

Cloudjumper and Hookfang came crashing down to Earth, Valka stumbling off unsteadily, Hiccup hurrying over as soon as he saw them.

Hookfang roared with distress, eyes wide with alarm, jerking his head around anxiously, roaring out as a plead for someone to help them.

"Mom?! Mom, what-what happened? Are you hurt?" Hiccup rushed to his mother's side, grabbing her arm, frowning with worry.

Valka was trying to catch her breath, leaning against Cloudjumper's frills, clearly in distress.

"I don't know how but Grimmel has been tracking us."

"Gah! This is all because of the Hobgobblers!" Gobber accused with a frown as the others gasped from nearby.

Valka opened her mouth to continue. "He has a least a hundred ships, maybe more, and enough cages for all our dragons. And he got Snotlout."

"Snotlout? Oh no….." Hiccup's eyes widened in alarm, looking over at Hookfang who roared anxiously at his rider's name, tail whipping back and forth, saddle empty.

Hiccup's eyebrows then furrowed, trying to think, angered. "If Grimmel has Snotlout and is leading his army here, then we-we need to take him out of the mix."

The other riders had gathered together, frowning. "Uh, and how do we do that?" Tuffnut huffed.

"By going there to capture him."

"Capture him?" It was quiet for a minute as the Riders glanced at each other in surprise.

"I'm with him, who else?!" Tuffnut suddenly exclaimed and threw his arms into the air, grinning.

* * *

The Riders flew on their Dragons for Grimmel's base, maneuvering smoothly through the dark fog, Hiccup accompanying Astrid on Stormfly, not one word being spoken, not even from the twins.

Hookfang's saddle was the only one who remained empty, the dragon's eyes narrowed.

The Riders watched as their Chief leapt off Stormfly when they were close enough, the wings of his flight suit allowing him to guide safely towards the eerie-looking building.

Five heads popped up from the rocks below, eyes narrowed. "Alright, everyone split up and don't get caught. We can't become another hostage for Grimmel." Eret gave the orders, what with Snotlout being gone, which was admittedly an odd feeling for all of them.

As the Riders split up and entered cautiously, the Deathgrippers had already picked up on their scents, prowling around, the ominous clicks and stomps from their body seeming to echo through the walls.

Hiccup was walking slowly, eyes narrowed as he tried to sneak up behind Grimmel, also trying to keep an eye out for Snotlout, hurrying up the stairs, coming into the small room where the man did his work, Inferno's flames lighting his path.

But Grimmel was not there and neither was Snotlout.

Eyes narrowing with almost confusion, Hiccup stood at the entrance a little baffled, trying to make sense of the empty room when all of a sudden he heard the sound of chains clanging together loudly, following by loud slams and booms as chained walls suddenly dropped down from the roof.

Hiccup rushed out and lifted his helmet up with a gasp, gripping Inferno tightly with wide eyes. He could hear Fishmeat crying out at the loud sounds and then Grimmel appeared, almost out of nowhere, just like when he had appeared at Hiccup's house the previous day, out of thin air.

"Where's your dragon when you need him, hmm, Chief?" Grimmel's voice rang through the air as he eyed Hiccup, holding a lantern in his hand for light, smirking. "Must've forgotten all about you. First rule of the hunt, separate the prey from it's pack. You've just removed yourselves from the equation….!"

Hiccup glared, anger rising in him. "Grimmel, where is Snotlout? Why are you doing this?"

"Really? I didn't think you cared!" Grimmel almost laughed, clearly enjoying himself. "Well Hiccup, I must admit I do admire you…..you're just too easy to manipulate." He chuckled. "You care too much and you're allowing yourself and others to get hurt because of it."

"Grimmel, Snotlout, where is he?" Hiccup demanded again, trying not to lose his patience, gripping Inferno so tightly he thought he might snap the handle in two.

"Oh, the boy I presume? The one with the ridiculous spikes and the unlikely cape? The one who is my captive, the one who was so easily brought to me just like that? That boy?" Grimmel paced around, grinning happily.

Hiccup didn't answer, his teeth clenched, green eyes flickering with anger.

Grimmel snorted a little, the corners of his lips quirking momentarily. He then snapped his fingers and the loud sounds of another Deathgripper approaching echoed uneasily into Hiccup's ears.

"Let-Let go of me!" Faint growling sounded and gradually got louder, sounding like scuffling.

The Riders swallowed hard as the Deathgripper prowled in, looking proud, carrying a bound Snotlout carefully, his cape hooked onto the Dragon's stinger, coming to Grimmel obediently.

Snotlout's eyes widened when he saw his friends, trying to struggle at his bounds, squirming. "H-Hiccup!"

Hiccup's eyes flashed when he saw him, shifting on his feet a little, swallowing hard, trying not to let his anger explode when he saw Grimmel was chuckling.

"Awww, such a happy reunion."

"Grimmel, you're going to regret what you've done. First you come into my home and set my village aflame, but then you take one of my warriors hostage? I thought we could settle this peacefully, but now….."

"Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup….." Grimmel interrupted with a smirk, reaching for a growling Snotlout who continued to squirm around helplessly, latching a fist onto his cape, yanking him away towards him, Snotlout gasping loudly.

"Peace, hmm? Is that all you ever care about? Peace for your village, your friends, your dragons…."

Grimmel kept Snotlout's feet off the floor as he paced around, holding him out in front of him, amused that the boy happened to be so short, finding it quite convenient as his captive kicked his dangling feet around, attempting to squirm.

Hiccup continued to glare, swallowing hard, feeling bad for Snotlout being held hostage, ready to pounce if Grimmel tried to do anything to him. "Peace is what the world wants. Nobody wants a war." He said his words carefully, to the point.

Grimmel offered a nod, glancing at Snotlout whose squirming had increased by now, the boy jerking and kicking, growling lowly at the man who held him, clearly wanting to be put down.

"No war, huh? Funny how you say that even though I've got your friend right here…."

"Put Snotlout down, then we can talk." Hiccup almost demanded.

"Oh, talk the chief says, we'll talk." Grimmel smirked with amusement, avoiding a kick from Snotlout. "Well I've heard enough talk from you already. Your talk of dragons being friends and allies, pets if you will, not thieves or murderers like they've always been for years convincing everyone that Vikings and Dragons can live among one another. Nonsense. All that will change, starting with you."

Hiccup was trying really hard not to snap. "Grimmel, Snotlout, start with with Snotlout. Let him go." He raised Inferno a little higher, showing his anger.

"Let him go? Hmmm, alive or how about nearly dead…?" The man smirked as he raised Snotlout a little, the Deathgripper beside them bringing his stinger closer. "You know the sting from a single Deathgripper is fatal, Hiccup. You talk of a war and if you don't surrender yourself to me now a war is what you'll receive, along with the death of one of your so-called warriors….." Snotlout shrunk back with a gulp and squeak at the Deathgripper's stinger now barely inches away from his throat, eyes widened, mouth open into an 'o' with fear as he eyed the killer dragon.

"Grimmel…..!" Hiccup warned with a growl, eyes narrowed in anger.

"Well," Grimmel laughed, watching. "War is what he wants then….! Surprising!" He then gave a whistle and immediately on cue, the Deathgrippers began to attack, lashing out at the Riders.

"Take cover!" Hiccup shouted, leaping away as green acid splattered the wall behind him. "Get Snotlout!"

The Riders scrambled to avoid the green corrosive acid that seemed to shoot right at them like a cannon, screaming and leaping away, Deathgrippers roaring and growling as they tried to catch them.

Grimmel smirked as he watched flames ignite everywhere, holding back his chuckles. Snotlout looked around with a horrified look, unable to believe all of his friends were in danger, eyes going narrow with anger.

Growling, he shot his legs out at the Deathgripper next to them, kicking him hard in the face, the dragon crying out, Snotlout then kicking his legs back at Grimmel, nearly flinging himself at him.

"Ey!" The man growled with surprise, Snotlout kicking his leg back with force, managing to kick Grimmel in the chest, Grimmel dropping him in surprise.

Landing on his feet, Snotlout huffed and started running off, despite his hands being bound behind him, looking up with narrowed eyes at his followed comrades, scowling at all the fire and enormous evil Deathgrippers, trying to get away to help them.

But then he heard a growl and suddenly his chest landed on the ground hard with an oof, snarling when he realized it was Grimmel who had tackled him down, immediately beginning to squirm and kick. "Get off me!"

Grimmel's hands were grabbing at him, trying to keep Snotlout pinned down, quickly grabbing at his hair, snarling, yanking at him to get him off the ground, not willing to lose his hostage.

Snotlout snarled at him, elbowing the man, gasping as a Deathgripper shot acid near them, going frozen, Grimmel yanking him away harshly, once again held helplessly in the air, letting out a snarl, overridden by anger and worry for his friends with all the chaos, looking up when he heard Tuffnut scream.

"Not so fast!" Grimmel growled at him as he held him, clutching a tight fistful of the boy's cape, keeping him close, also looking around at all the chaos and leaping dragons and people alike, eyes narrowed as he brought a dagger to Snotlout's throat, an eruption of flame exploding beside them.

Snotlout flinched at the dagger but nevertheless continued to growl and struggle, jerking around. "Let go of me! Don't you know I'm number two?!"

Grimmel snarled and tried to start dragging Snotlout off, away from the group, the boy's feet back on the ground, trying to maintain his constant struggling, keeping the dagger at his throat, struggling himself. "Gahhhh!"

"Snotlout!"

Snotlout heard his name and looked up, seeing a flash before him, Grimmel suddenly no longer holding onto him. He whipped around with a gasp, spotting Valka knocking the evil man over with her staff, Grimmel hitting the floor hard, Snotlout grinning in awe, glad she had came so willingingly to his rescue.

"Valka!"

Valka hit Grimmel with her staff again, ducking when a Deathgripper shot acid at her, leaping away. "Come on!" She came behind him and sliced through the rope around his wrists, freeing him.

The two turned to rush over to escape with the others, a hand suddenly grabbing Valka's arm, whipping her around, punching her straight to the ground.

"Valka! Hey!" Snotlout snarled at Grimmel, fists balling, immediately attacking him in anger. "Number two coming through!" He punched Grimmel in the face, then the chest, forcibly knocking the man down, who snarled in pain and fury.

When Grimmel was down, Snotlout rushed to Valka who was on her feet by now, grabbing her arm, urging her to take off so they could get the Hell out of there to escape. "Come on!"

Valka didn't hesitate and the two took off running, dodging flames and trying not to slip on their feet, hurrying to get to the top with the others, Eret reaching a hand down to them.

"Come on, come on!"

Snotlout glanced back once at Grimmel and the evil dragons, wide-eyed but grabbed ahold of Eret's hand nevertheless, despite how much he couldn't stand the man.

Eret yanked him up and reached his hand down for Valka, but she had to help Hiccup, the Deathgrippers nearly catching up to them.

Snotlout was overjoyed when he crawled out to see Hookfang, eyes widening happily as he hurried towards his snout. "Hookfang! Thank Thor!"

Hookfang warbled with relief when he saw his Rider, grinning, urgently turning away after Snotlout saddled, wanting to get him out of there right away, knowing this place was dangerous for him.

Snotlout gripped his dragon's horns tightly, relieved, finally letting out a deep breath, glad to be with Hookfang again, looking back to make sure everyone got out okay.

Everyone seemed to be here, he observed as Cloudjumper emerged with Valka and Hiccup safely atop his back.

Assuming it was all safe, Snotlout turned away, watching as the Crimson Gore-Gutter flew past them, knocking straight into the building, sending the Deathgrippers tumbling down helplessly.

He just couldn't believe he had gotten out of there, that they all got out of there. That was way too close.

When they flew farther away and it was assumedly safe, Snotlout heard Hiccup say his name, turning his head.

"Snotlout, you okay?"

"I'm fine." Snotlout answered, huffing. "Not happy about it though, you should know that." He would've crossed his arms over his chest but he didn't want to let go of Hookfang's horns.

"Yeah, sorry about that. At least we're all safe now. We got lucky." Hiccup huffed, shaking his head.

"Luck is right, Hiccup. I coulda died back there." Snotlout huffed, shaking his head a little, over-exaggerating.

"But you didn't." Valka pointed out softly.

"Y-Yeah. Thanks to you, I might add." He perked up with a grin, flashing her a smile, the gap in his teeth showing.

Hiccup huffed. "Let's just hope that's the last we see of Grimmel for awhile." He stated as they flew home to New Berk, unbeknownst to them that they would in fact be seeing Grimmel again very soon, thanks to the unknown disappearance of Ruffnut Eugene Thorston…...

 **Again, any requests?**


	9. A New Leader

**A New Leader**

 **Snotlout's finally got his wish: Hiccup's the new chief and now Snotlout gets to be the leader of the Dragon Riders (at least when Hiccup and Astrid aren't available) Though excited at first, Snotlout begins to realize being a leader is not all fun and games for him, especially not with Eret, Son of Eret, who can't stop getting in his way no matter what. But Eret isn't the only problem lurking about…**

The sun was high above Berk as Vikings worked on repairs, constructing and rebuilding huts and houses, Dragons helping them, men also constructing the new Statue of Stoick the Vast in his honor.

The doors to the Great Hall opened and the Chief walked out, letting out a breath, having just come out of a meeting with the Council.

He had only been Chief for two days and already stress was building up with everything that needed to be taken care of. He had no idea how his father used to be able to do all this.

Hiccup looked around as began walking into town, searching for his friends. Among the large crowd of Dragons and Vikings alike, Eret's familiar face suddenly emerged, coming up to him.

"Chief? How'd it go?" He joined Hiccup's side, examining his face for an answer.

Hiccup sighed, lips pursed together. "How do you think it went? Listen, I need to find Snotlout and the others. Do you know where they are?"

"Not sure, Chief. Is it urgent?"

"Somewhat. I have a new mission for them, including you as well." Hiccup shrugged, looking around, smiling softly when Toothless came running up to them, joining Hiccup's side as well.

"Me?" Eret blinked. "Whatever you say Chief." He shrugged a little, surprised yet honored.

When Hiccup found his friends huddled together outside Fishlegs' house, Hiccup greeted them and waved Snotlout aside.

Snotlout blinked but stepped aside expectantly. "Hiccup?"

Hiccup exhaled softly, almost sighing. "Okay Snotlout, you get your wish. Today I'm sending you on a mission with the others, with you in charge."

Snotlout's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Me? You mean I'm finally the leader of the Dragon Riders?" He was grinning now.

Hiccup nodded at him. "Yep. That's a lot of responsibility you know."

"Wait, what about Astrid?" Snotlout narrowed his eyes, wondering if this was a trick.

"I need her here with me, she's helping the A Team with repairs."

"Soooo, I'm officially in charge? Officially?" Snotlout eyes lit up with happiness, smiling widely so that the gap in his teeth was showing.

"Yes, Snotlout. Officially." Hiccup nodded, shaking a head a little at his friend's eagerness.

Snotlout laughed proudly and punched him in the arm, completely thrilled with himself. "Ha ha, yes! Oh I've been waiting for this day for so long! So what's my first mission, Chief, tell me!"

Hiccup rubbed his arm. "I need you to take the Gang to the Edge to make sure the island's alright and that nobody has moved there."

"Why would somebody move to the Edge? It's ours!" Snotlout laughed with a snort.

"Because we haven't been there in awhile! If somebody came upon an empty island they could've moved in there. And even if they have, we need to figure out if they're friend or foe. We can't have enemies inhabiting our base." Hiccup spoke, gesturing with his hands.

"So if they ain't friendly then I have permission to take them out, right?" Snotlout grinned, punching his palm with his fist.

"Only if necessary." Hiccup shook his head, sighing. "If you need to, just make sure they get off the Edge and don't come back, make that clear to them."

"So wait a minute, if they're not enemies do I still kick them out? Cause I will do that, Hiccup!"

"If they're not enemies, they don't need to leave unless they're willing to. We're not just going to force them away. If there are people there, just figure out who they are. You got it?"

Snotlout shrugged, snorting a little. "I guess. We'll see when they get there."

"Okay. Then after checking the Edge, I need you to visit Dagur and Mala. Clue them in on what's happened." Hiccup looked away, remembering his father, swallowing softly.

Snotlout grinned softly, shrugging. "Okay. It'll be good to see Dagster and Queenie again. Wait, what am I supposed to tell them?"

Hiccup sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, giving his friend a look, hoping he wouldn't have to explain it to him.

Snotlout blinked, understanding, going serious. "Oh…..right. Anything else?"

"Jus' make sure they're doing alright." Hiccup nodded. "We need to visit Atali to inform her too but I don't think you all could-"

"We can do it!" Snotlout huffed, fist clenched. "Trust me, Hiccup. I know what I'm doing. I'll make sure we find a place to camp for the night and then visit Atali next morning, I swear. You don't have to worry."

"You sure? That's a lot to do all at once, you guys will have to be gone a few days." Hiccup frowned a little.

Snotlout waved him off. "It'll be fine. Don't worry. I promise we'll all come back safe and sound and everything will be taken care of. You just worry about your Chiefly duties here…."

Hiccup sighed. "Okay, Snotlout. You know I trust you. But this is a lot of responsibility. I'm really counting on you that you can do this."

"Of course I can do this….!" Snotlout grinned, quite assured of himself. "When do we leave?"

"When you and the others are ready. Give them a chance to pack up some supplies."

"Can do!" Snotlout gave a happy thumbs up with a wide smile. Hiccup nodded and they came back to the group.

"Alright gang. Y'all are going to go on a little trip today."

The Twins smiled, perking up. "Ooh is it to Valhalla?" Tuff smirked.

"Valhalla? What, no, why-why would we go to Valhalla?" Hiccup frowned.

"I dunno. We've just always wanted to go there." Tuff shrugged, smiling with his sister.

"You mutton-heads. You can't visit Valhalla. Once you go there, you never come out…!" Snotlout snorted at them.

"Ohhh, a permanent vacation…." Ruff sing-songed, elbowing Eret who blinked at her with a frown.

"Guys, please, focus." Hiccup frowned at them. "You guys are going to take a visit to the Edge. And, Snotlout's going to lead you there."

Snotlout put his hands on his hip, smirking proudly, his chest puffed out with pride.

"Wait. Snotlout?" The Twin's smirks fell.

"Snotlout. Hiccup, do you know what you're doin-"

"Yes, Fishlegs, I do know what I'm doing. I have a lot of faith that Snotlout can do this." Hiccup put a hand on his friend's shoulder, giving him a nod of approval.

Snotlout grinned, quite pleased with himself. "Ha! Hear that, Fishface?! Hiccup trusts me. Not you, ME!"

Eret stepped closer to them. "That's a big honor, Snotlout."

"You bet it is." Snotlout snorted.

"Oh and Snotlout, you should know I'm going to send Eret with you guys. Just in case." Hiccup nodded to their friend, smiling softly.

"What?!" Snotlout tensed, pulling away. "Why?! We don't need him!" He pointed angrily at Eret with a finger, not wanting the over-sized man to accompany them.

"Snotlout, we don't know what you might run into out there. Eret can be a big help if you guys need him and also just in case you have any problems with—"

"Hiccup, I'm going to be a great leader. You said so yourself. I don't need this guy to ruin my stature." Snotlout growled, shooting a mean look at Eret.

"Snotlout, please. He's going with. No objections." Hiccup huffed, nodding his head.

"Fine." Snotlout gave in reluctantly. "But just know that he's the back-up and I'm the front-down." He crossed his arms over his chest, huffing.

"Okay guys, start packing up. You'll be leaving soon." The chief nodded to his friends, who nodded back and went to their homes to pack up some supplies, minus Eret, Snotlout and Hiccup.

The Chief leaned over to whisper into Eret's ear as Snotlout called out for Hookfang. "Eret please just keep an eye on Snotlout. Sometimes he gets carried away and I dunno if he's ready for this. And you're older and you know more about-"

"It's alright, Chief." Eret smiled softly with a nod. "I understand. You have my word."

"Thanks, Eret. Hopefully he won't be too much trouble."

"Chief!" Hiccup and Eret turned around, seeing Spitelout coming up to them.

"I hear you're going a little mission, boy-o." Spitelout grinned at his son, slapping his shoulder a little. "Well done, Snotlout."

"Yeah, Snotlout's officially the leader of the Dragon Riders now. You both should be honored." Hiccup smiled at the Jorgensons.

"Indeed. Let's jus' hope ye don't screw this one up, son. And to make sure of it meself, I'm going with you." Spitelout smiled, hands on his hips.

"Wait, what?" Snotlout's smile fell, gaping up at his father.

"Well, why not? I used to help ye kids out back in the day. Why not do it again, ey Chief?"

"Sure, I don't see what's wrong with it. I mean, the more help we-"

"Hiccup, uh a word?" Snotlout pushed Hiccup aside quickly, frowning as he glanced back at his father. "Hiccup, there is no way you can allow my father to come with us."

"What? Why not?" Hiccup frowned at him. "Spitelout's a great addition-"

"No Hiccup. Look if he comes with, all he's going to do is point out every little mistake I make. I'm the leader of the Dragon Riders now….! All he's going to do is criticize me for not becoming chief and I can't work under that pressure. It's bad enough you're putting me with Eret there's no way I can-"

"Okay, Okay, Snotlout, I get it. If you don't want him to come with, that's alright. But why don't you be the one to tell him that, father to son." Hiccup frowned at him softly.

"I can't tell him that!" Snotlout hissed with a frown. "Jus' tell him you need him here. You're the chief."

Hiccup sighed a little, shaking his head. "Fine. Spitelout, I'm afraid I just realized I need you to stay here on Berk so I can't allow you to go." He looked at the Viking as the two came back.

"Oh?" Spitelout raised a brow, glancing at his son. "Pity. I guess if Snotlout gets into trouble, which he will, he'll be on his own then, not my problem." He waved them off, starting to walk away, chin held up high.

Snotlout blinked, glancing at Hiccup, who gave him a soft sympathetic look. "You should get ready. You'll be leaving soon. I have to get back to work. Good luck, Snotlout."

He started to walk away, leaving Snotlout behind with Eret, who blinked at him.

"You know I just wanted to say that—"

"Don't. Whatever you're going to say, don't." Snotlout interrupted with a cold look. "Hiccup may say you're coming with us but I'm in charge now and I don't need you. Just stay out of my way."

He started stomping off for his hut to go pack, leaving Eret behind who blinked and frowned softly, watching him go off.

* * *

Once airborne, Snotlout happily began giving orders, quite proud of himself that for once, _he_ was at the front of the gang, he was the leader, _he_ and Hookfang were leading them.

"Okay losers! Listen up! When we get to the Edge, we're supposed to check the area! Make sure no one's there and if someone is there, we get to kick them out!"

"Kick them out?" Fishlegs frowned, glancing at the others.

"Why would somebody be at the Edge?" Tuffnut questioned aloud.

"I dunno, it was Hiccup's stupid orders, not mine!" Snotlout retorted. "He seems to think people are going to be there or something…."

"He's not wrong…..somebody could have easily moved themselves in upon seeing the island deserted." Eret nodded his head, staying close behind Snotlout on Skullcrusher.

Snotlout snorted, rolling his eyes. "Whatever. Point is, if somebody's there, we get to kick them out!" He balled his fists happily with a smirk, Hookfang giving a small roar in agreement.

"Are you sure? Hiccup told you to do that?" Fishlegs questioned with a frown, hesitant.

"Of course he did! Besides, I'm in charge, you guys listen to me now!" Snotlout huffed.

"Uh, Snotlout, if we all listen to you, we'll be dead by the next moon….!" Ruffnut hollered.

"Shut up, Ruffnut!" Snotlout glared at her. "That's not true!"

"She has a point though." Eret nodded his head in agreement.

Ruffnut gasped happily. "Awww! Of course I do, Eret….."

"Shut up!" Snotlout snapped again. "I'm in charge! I don't care if you all end up in Valhalla, I'm the leader now! So listen up!"

"Is he always like this?" Eret looked at Fishlegs, frowning.

Fishlegs gave a nod. "Most of the time, yes, sadly."

Despite Snotlout's yelling, the Riders all stayed behind him, allowing him to remain in the lead, though they weren't necessarily happy about it. They wanted Hiccup and Astrid back.

"Who do you think these mystery people at the Edge will be?" Ruffnut grinned at her brother, trying to start a conversation.

Tuffnut smirked, shrugging. "I dunno. Hunters, monsters, demons…..anything really. Who knows, maybe Snotlout will get eaten." He chuckled.

"I heard that!" Snotlout snapped, glancing back with a scowl. "If anyone here is going to get eaten, it's going to be Fishface or Mister Son of Eret over here, because I like them the least."

Fishlegs frowned and Eret wrinkled his nose. "Well that was a bit harsh."

Snotlout glanced at him, looking smug. "Of course it was harsh! And get used to it because I don't like you!"

"And why don't you like me?" Eret questioned, brow raised.

"How could anyone not like Eret Son of Eret?" Ruffnut questioned aloud, not really expecting an answer.

"Snotlout, Eret is our ally now. We have to respect him." Fishlegs reminded.

"Yeah well I still don't forgive him for what he did to our dragons!" Snotlout snorted, sending Eret a mean look, gripping Hookfang's horns tighter.

Eret frowned at that, looking a little sour. "Snotlout, I-"

"Okay, okay, let's not do anything hasty here," Fishlegs interrupted them, not wanting a fight. "Let's just focus on getting to the Edge without arguing. Okay?"

"Yeah Eret," Snotlout sneered mockingly. "You should learn to respect me."

Eret scowled a little, looking away, not understanding what Snotlout's problem with him was.

* * *

After a long while of flying, the Riders and Dragons were starting to get restless and tired, not having been to the Edge for awhile, not used to the long flight.

Eret especially became restless, it being only his second day riding Skullcrusher and he was still learning the basics of dragon riding. Luckily Skullcrusher did most of the flying for him, knowing what to do, though he did seem a little groggy and down after losing Stoick.

"So, this Edge…." Eret started, glancing at everyone. "Are we there yet?" He just wanted to get back on the ground, not used to being in the air quite yet.

"The Edge is just a ways ahead, we should be there soon." Fishlegs answered for him before Snotlout could say something crude.

"Well, can we at least land for a break? I could do for a little snack." Eret called, hopeful.

"Well, I guess we could-"

"No way Fishface!" Snotlout snapped. "We're not landing until we get to the Edge! Old Whimper Wuss over here will have to wait."

"But if we get to the Edge and there's people there and we have to go into battle, we'll need to have our strength to fight and we can't do that on an empty stomach." Eret shrugged, matter-of-factly.

"He does have a point." Fishlegs said meekly.

"Way to go Whimper Wuss!" Tuffnut grinned, joining in.

Snotlout scowled, unamused, eyes narrowed as he glared back at them. "Fine. But just for a quick snack break. We'll stop at the next island ahead. Ten minutes, that's it!"

Skullcrusher and Eret were the first to land, Eret hopping down with a sigh of relief, running a hand across his dragon's scout. "Thatta boy, Skullcrusher….."

The others landed nearby, the Dragons going to a nearby stream to drink, Fishlegs distributing some berries and biscuits to the Riders.

Snotlout tapped his foot as he glared at Eret standing in line, arms crossed over his chest, looking annoyed.

Scowling, he started coming over, pulling on Eret's arm to bring him away from the others who made conversation quietly.

Eret frowned at the small Viking, trying to eat his berries. "'Ey, what's the problem?"

Snotlout continued to glare, hands on his hips. "Oh the problem is that you need to quit trying to steal my job!"

"What? What are you talking about?" Eret blinked.

"Quit acting like you're the one in charge! I'm in charge now, you got that?! Only me! I don't need the other Riders to get confused about who to listen to. So just back off! Hiccup put me in charge, not you, you're just back up." Snotlout huffed, pointing a mean finger at Eret's nose.

"Well you should know, I'm not trying to do any of that stuff. I'm jus' trying to help out."

"Yeah? Well stop trying. I don't need anybody's help!" Snotlout glared, walking off, fists balled at his side as he went to get some food.

Eret watched him with a frown, popping berries into his mouth, slowly shaking his head.

When they finally came approaching to the Edge, Fishlegs pulled out his spyglass to see if there were any ships docked there. "I don't see any ships. Looks pretty empty to me."

"Well that's good to know." Snotlout snorted.

"Perhaps me and Skullcrusher should fly ahead first. His tracking skills could alert us if-"

"No way, giant jerk-face! You and your smelly-dragon aren't going anywhere! You'll stay behind me!" Snotlout glared.

"But Snotlout….."

"He has a point Snotlout," Fishlegs interrupted. "Skullcrusher could be an early alert system before we rush down there…."

Skullcrusher roared softly, proving his point.

"No way!" Snotlout continued to shout. "We fly in together! No objections! Fly ahead of the area and tell the others if you spot anyone!"

Despite frowning at Snotlout's yelling, no one responded, the Dragons already beginning to fly over the island, a few of the Riders dispersing to split up and search down below.

Snotlout glared as he eyed the passing huts and trees down below, looking for any people. He saw some Dragons, but no people. Well, that was good.

"Looks good, Hooky. Heh, Stupid Hiccup. Clearly he's lost his mind. All this Chiefy-Stuff has gone to his head." Snotlout shook his head, huffing.

Hookfang roared softly with a shake of his head, continuing to fly above the island.

They soon met up with the others. "Well this was completely stupid." Snotlout snorted, shaking his head in disapproval. "There's nobody here…."

"Aye. We didn't find anybody here either, we even checked the huts." Eret nodded to Fishlegs as he hopped off of Skullcrusher. "Cool base though."

"All we found were some baby boars and they were not friendly, by any means. Can we kick them out instead?" Tuffnut questioned with a nod from his sister.

"Well this just goes to show that Hiccup clearly doesn't know what he's doing! I'm outta here, let's go see Queenie…." Snotlout huffed, coming back over to Hookfang.

"Uh Snotlout," Fishlegs rose a finger. "Shouldn't we camp out for the night? It's getting late. We might not make it there before sun-down. Plus the dragons are tired."

"It's getting late, the dragons are tired, I'm a wee little baby…" Snotlout mocked in a baby voice, nose wrinkled. "Tired? Ha! We're fine! If we leave now, we'll get there on time. Besides, if it gets dark, we have Hookfang to light the way for us."

Hookfang spread his wings out, giving out a proud roar, glancing at Skullcrusher with pride, who only snorted.

Eret's nose was wrinkled. "Uh, Snotlout? Hiccup said-"

"Hey! I don't care what Hiccup said, okay Eret?" Snotlout sneered at him. "So shut your yak-trap and get on your smelly-dragon so we can get outta here!"

Eret scowled at him, eyes narrowed, slowly going to his Rumblehorn.

Ruffnut leaned over to her brother's ear. "Why doesn't Eret Son of Eret just take out Snotlout with those huge muscles of his? It'd make it easier on all of us." She smirked.

Tuffnut shrugged at her. "Meh. Ruin his rep I guess. Though I totally agree with you."

"Hey mutton-heads," Snotlout snorted at them. "Dragon, get on your dragon. You know that two-headed gas chamber you ride." He huffed, saddling onto Hookfang.

"Gas Chamber?" Tuffnut narrowed his eyes.

Ruffnut put her hands on her hips. "How insulting. As if Hookfang wasn't a gas chamber himself. He's so full of hot air he might as well have two heads himself."

Hookfang heard her and growled, snorting out a puff of smoke from his nostrils with a vicious glare.

Ruffnut put her hands up in surrender, nervously grinning. "Kidding."

Snotlout rolled his eyes, Hookfang snorting and beginning to fly. "Come on already! We could be there by now with all this blabbering!"

"Snotlout, you know that's physically impossible." Fishlegs frowned as Meatlug started flying. "Besides, you've been doing a lot of blabbering yourself." He stated and Eret started laughing.

Snotlout's eyes went narrow. "Shut up, Fishface."

Barf and Belch had joined the other dragons in the air and they now began flying towards Defender of the Wing Island, leaving the Edge.

"I miss staying here you guys…." Fishlegs frowned as they flew past. "Remember all those great times we had here?"

"Yeah, like the time Garf was here and he tried to eat Smidvarg and Chicken?!" Ruffnut grinned, her brother mock-gasping at the mention of Chicken.

"Or when the whole volcano nearly exploded? Or when Snotlout nearly got barbecued?!"

Snotlout's eyes went narrow and he glared at her, growling under his breath.

Eret was laughing softly. "Sounds like you lot had quite the amount of fun back in the day. Pity I couldn't have joined your ranks sooner."

Snotlout laughed at that. "Pity? Ha! More like a blessing there, Son of Eret."

"But you're here now," Fishlegs stated, choosing to ignore Snotlout's crude remark. "And that's what's important. You'll be a great addition to the team. I know Hiccup really likes you already. If you're lucky, you'll even manage to become—"

Snotlout's eyes had widened, his mouth forming into a frown at Fishlegs' words, gripping Hookfang's horns tighter as his eyes became narrow. "HEY! Let's talk about something else, shall we?! Like yak-rats? Those are fun, right?" He laughed a little nervously, just trying to get everyone's attention off of Eret.

"Oh yak-rats. I love those little guys. But shouldn't we be talking about those Hunter ships instead?" Tuffnut spoke.

"Hunter ships?" Snotlout's eyes went wide. "Where?"

"Down there. There's like eight of them." Tuffnut pointed with a shrug.

Snotlout's mouth fell open as he looked down, spotting the ships for himself, eyes narrowing as he quickly scowled. "Quick, we gotta take them out! Now!"

Hookfang started to dive without waiting for a response from the others.

"Wait, wait! This is my first mission, what do I do?!" Eret hollered with wide eyes, startled.

"Jus' let Skullcrusher take care of 'em. He knows what to do. Though Snotlout should be doing a much better job than this." Fishlegs shook his head, Meatlug beginning to descend, Barf and Belch already trailing not far behind Hookfang.

Eret swallowed hard and glanced at Skullcrusher. "You got this boy? 'Cause I'm really relying on you, really."

The Rumblehorn gave a snort and shook his head, descending immediately afterwards, Eret giving a little yelp in surprise, gripping the bars of his saddle tightly, not quite sure what to expect, anxious.

Hookfang dove and took the first shot, blasting a stream of fire right at the ships as he flew past, Snotlout glancing at the decks to get a good luck at the men.

Barf and Belch sent another ship into flames and as Hookfang circled back around, he nearly flew straight into Meatlug.

"Snotlout, you have to give the order!" Fishlegs stated. "What do you want us to do?!"

"Jus' take out the catapults and archers! Blast the ships, duh!" Snotlout snorted, taking off on Hookfang again.

By now Skullcrusher had joined them and shot his missile-like fireballs straight at the ships, Eret gawking with surprise, still getting used to this, watching as Barf and Belch circled another ship, Belch igniting his sparks, creating a huge explosion directly around the ship.

"Take them down!"

"Get them!"

Hunters were scrambling around on the decks as their ships started sinking, some having to abandon their own, trying to get to the remaining ships still in-tact.

The leader, or rather organizer of the Dragon Hunters came running over. "Shoot them blasted riders down! We're losing men!"

"We're trying, sir!"

The leader watched as his archers failed to miss their targets, glancing straight above him as Hookfang, completely aflame, flew completely through their mast and several others, tearing gaping holes straight through them, circling back around to the others, his rider whooping with victory.

"Fishface, take out the catapults! Eret, you're on archers! Ruff, Tuff, focus on the ships! We can't leave any of them standing! Keep your distance, they have dragon root arrows! Hookfang and I will try to take out the rest of the masts and then the archers. Do you understand me?!"

The leader watched with narrowed eyes from the ship, eyeing the Dragons huddled together in the sky, watching Snotlout gesture with his hands and do all the talking. "That one, with the Monstrous Nightmare, he must be their leader. We take him out, we take 'em all out. Archers!"

The Riders had dispersed and Meatlug shot a lava blast at the catapults as they failed to hit their targets, Skullcrusher flying near them, aiming for the decks as he fired, like he had been told.

Hookfang soared past rapidly, lighting himself aflame again, flying through the masts they had previously missed, hardly noticing all the arrows that were being shot at him.

Barf and Belch continued to blast the ships as they flew past, Belch suddenly getting hit with an arrow, crying out.

"We're hit, we're hit, no no no no no!" Tuffnut cried as already Barf and Belch were faltering in the air, losing flight control.

Snotlout heard and gasped as he looked over, Hookfang immediately turning to fly over, dodging a few arrows. "Eret, Skullcrusher, now!"

Eret's eyes widened but Skullcrusher turned and hurried over with a roar, catching Barf and Belch by their tails before they could hit the ocean, Ruff and Tuff struggling to hold onto them.

"Quick, block the nets! Fishface!" Snotlout shouted.

Hookfang rushed over, blasting fire at the ship in front of them, the hunters trying to catch Barf and Belch in a dragon net. "Eret, get Barf and Belch outta here, we need to fall back!"

Snotlout glanced at Meatlug as she flew over, helping take out the hunters with her fireblasts until Skullcrusher got Barf and Belch far away enough so they were out of range, Hookfang and Meatlug hurrying after them into the air where they couldn't be struck.

"Snotlout, what do we do?!" Fishlegs whimpered, glancing at the Twins who dangled in the air as they clung to their dragon's horns desperately, looking at Snotlout for an answer too.

Snotlout looked at the Twins then the ships down below, more than half of them aflame and already sinking. He knew they could take them out, but not with them being down a dragon and he couldn't risk losing another. The Hunters had catapults, arrows and bolas, all too much of a risk for them.

He didn't want to, but he knew they had to retreat. Besides, it's what Hiccup would do.

"Fall back! Back to the Edge! Now! While we're out of range!" He ordered, already turning on Hookfang to lead the way.

"Back? Back to the Edge?" Eret's eyebrows furrowed with a frown, looking down at the ships below, wanting to protest. "But-"

Hookfang and Meatlug were already flying off though and he frowned, licking his lips, deciding to keep it for himself, starting after them, though he knew this wasn't a good idea to go back.

Those ships could easily follow them back and then they'd be trapped at the Edge under attack and then the Hunters would know of their location, them being totally outnumbered.

Eret swallowed hard but followed after them, hoping the Hunters down below wouldn't be smart enough to think to follow them, Skullcrusher catching up to his friends.

The Leader watched through his spy-glass, smirking as he began shaking his head. "Fools…..follow them! They'll lead us straight to their base! Then we can take them out, starting with their leader. Then the Dragon Riders will be no more!"

* * *

The Dragons made it back to the Edge, Skullcrusher gently setting Barf and Belch down carefully, roaring sympathetically, the Hideous Zippleback defenseless and immobile.

The Twins sat on their knees, frowning at their dragon, worried for them.

Snotlout hopped down off of Hookfang with a frown, hurrying over but Eret beat him to it.

"Are you two alright?" He helped Ruffnut to her feet, offering a hand to her brother.

Snotlout nearly snarled, eyes going narrow, roughly shoving Eret aside. "Outta my way! Ruff, you okay?" His voice turned soft, a hand grabbing her arm, trying to make sure she and Tuffnut were accounted for.

"Hey, what was that for?" Eret regained his balance on his feet, looking cross at Snotlout for shoving him.

Snotlout turned to glare at him, eyes narrowed. "I'm the leader, I make sure everyone's okay! I told you to back off! Fishlegs, can you make the antidote?"

Eret continued to speak as Fishlegs opened his mouth. "Well you don't have to be so crude about it. We're all friends here. Why don't you start being a little more respectful for your team-mates? You're the one that nearly got us all killed ya know." He huffed.

"Oh I'm not respectful?" Snotlout stepped away, looking furious. "Maybe because you never listen to me!" He snapped, poking at Eret's chest. "And nobody got killed, I was just doing my job! I'm the leader ya know!"

Eret was glaring, looking cross. "Yeah? Well Hiccup's a much better leader than you'll ever be."

Snotlout's eyes flickered, looking momentarily hurt, his expression quickly molding back to anger.

"Uh, guys?" Fishlegs tried to interrupt, feeling very awkward along with the Twins, who watched tensely.

"And you know why you're not a better leader?" Eret towered over Snotlout, not hearing Fishlegs. "Because you don't know how to be a leader. You don't even respect your own friends."

"That's not true…..!" Snotlout snapped in defense, swallowing hard as he tried to stand taller on his toes.

"Oh it's not? You've been mean to me ever since I showed up here and certainly you don't have any respect for Fishlegs or Tuffnut or even Miss Ruffnut here. All you care about is yourself." Eret snapped. "You're not a leader, you're just a bully."

Snotlout swallowed hard, trying his best to look tough. "I am a leader, Eret! I do care! Who are you to call me out, you don't even know me!" He accused.

"I know enough about you to know that you're a bully." Eret huffed. "And clearly you're not ready for this. You nearly let your own friends get killed."

"That's not true!"

"Uh guys?" Fishlegs tried again.

"Look if it wasn't for you, I'd be in charge right now. Hiccup would-"

"Hey, Hiccup has known me way longer than you, pal, we've been friends since babies so you can just shut your yak-trap!" Snotlout snapped with a pointing finger. "You don't know who I am and you don't need to know but I'm in charge! Hiccup picked me! Not you! And there's a reason for that!

"Was it because he just didn't want to hurt your feelings?" Eret managed a smirk, brow raised coolly.

Snotlout was getting frustrated, fist clenched tightly. "Shut up! I've proved myself! But being a leader is hard!"

"Well of course it is. For you. Because you don't know how to do it correctly. Why don't you just let someone like me take over for y-"

"No way! I've been waiting for this for years, you ain't taking it away from me! My friends and the dragons, that's all I've got!" Snotlout was shouting, very irritated, losing his temper.

"Well I think it's time you wake up and listen to the Terrible Terrors pal, because you are just not meant to be a leader." Eret stated, being serious, fed up with Snotlout's boisterous attitude.

Snotlout's eyes flickered again and his nose scrunched up, trying not to explode. "Well what do you know about being a leader?! Nothing! You have to take care of yourself, you have to take care of everybody else-" He gestured to his friends who still stood aside watching awkwardly. "And you have responsibilities! You have to deal with the bad guys, you have to do everything! I'm doing my best so you can just back off like I told you to! I am a good leader, ask anybody!"

"Well even if you were a good leader, hypothetically, that still doesn't make you a good friend to your team-mates! Sharpen up, Snotlout!" Eret shook his head, scowling.

Something in Snotlout's memory sparked and he snarled, punching Eret in the shoulder hard, enough to send him stumbling backwards.

"Whaa-hey!" The man looked cross, not expecting to fight. "You want to tussle now, really?"

Snotlout let out an angry cry and started for him, swinging his fist, snarling when Eret blocked his punch and twisted his arm around, his wrist cracking painfully, quickly pulling away.

Fishlegs gasped as he watched, horrified, the Twins gaping as well, but they were also smirking. "W-We have to stop them!" Fishlegs whimpered.

Skullcrusher and Hookfang had started fighting as well, roaring and snarling, Hookfang blasting fire at Skullcrusher furiously, the Rumblehorn blocking the blast with a wing, roaring angrily.

Meatlug watched them with big wide eyes, whining softly, wanting them to stop.

"I am a good leader!" Snotlout shouted as he wiggled, trying to get out of Eret's choke-hold, wishing he wasn't so short. "Watch me!" He elbowed the man, luckily getting free.

Eret held his stomach, growling, blocking another punch. "With this behavior? I highly doubt that. Hiccup must have to do everything for you. Would you like me to help you out too?"

Snotlout snarled in anger, charging at Eret, but the man was so big and tall, he easily evaded Snotlout's attacks, grabbing ahold of the back of Snotlout's tunic, lifting him away effortlessly, eyeing him with a questioning look as he held him up, Snotlout squirming and kicking around.

"Put me down! Let me go!" Snotlout snarled, trying to reach back, unable to, attempting to get away. "Quit upstaging me! I hate you!"

Eret's eyes widened a little and he dropped him, Snotlout landing on his rear in surprise.

"Oh so the truth comes out?" Eret started with a low voice. "Is this because of what I said?"

"I am a good leader." Snotlout insisted as he got to his feet, glaring. "And I want you to know that. You can just back off, I don't need anyone's help."

He started to walk away but then heard Eret mutter, "No wonder you ain't Chief."

Snotlout froze in his tracks with wide eyes and whipped around, going furious, charging at Eret with a fist, going to hit him, yelping when something struck him and he was suddenly looking up to see clouds.

Dazed, he slowly sat up, realizing Eret had just punched him. He could taste blood, a little shocked, everything spinning.

Hookfang rushed over with a snarl, shooting daggers at Eret, puffing out an angry billow of smoke at him as he curled around Snotlout protectively.

Eret didn't look that fazed, despite Fishlegs', Ruff's and Tuff's shocked expressions.

"Sorry. It had to be done. Look, Snotlout, face it. You just don't have what it takes to be the leader of the Dragon Riders. Tomorrow at the first light of day, we're going to go see Dagur and Mala but we'll be going on our own. Unless of course you can figure out how to be a good leader by then. But I doubt that." He stated, walking over to Skullcrusher, taking off without another word.

Snotlout looked up from the ground, glancing at his friends with a shocked expression, only just then realizing they had been watching the entire thing, now embarrassed.

"You-you guys don't agree with him, right? I-I'm a good leader. You can't go with him…..! Fishface?"

The Twins were frowning and though Fishlegs looked sympathetic, he was frowning too. "It's Fishlegs." He stated, a little anger in his tone, turning to leave, as did the Twins.

Shocked by their reactions, Snotlout got to his feet, wide-eyed. "W-Wait, wait…..don't go. Come back here, I command you!"

His friends kept walking though, leaving him behind with Hookfang, dumbfounded.

Snotlout's eyes went narrow, angered. "F-Fine! J-Just go then! I don't need you! I don't need any one of you! Being a leader is stupid anyways!" He snorted, looking away crossly.

"Come on, Hookfang," He growled, starting to stomp off. "Who needs them anyhow? I never liked being a leader anyways….." He huffed, but even he knew he was lying.

* * *

Snotlout stomped off into the forest with Hookfang, infuriated that everything had gone so poorly. This was supposed to be his moment of glory, his moment!

"Can you believe that guy, Hooky?" He growled as his dragon followed behind him. "I hate that Son of Eret! If he hadn't came with, none of this would've happened! Curse Hiccup for sending that guy with us….! All he does is try to upstage me, who does he think he is?!"

Hookfang was trying to be patient as he listened, keeping close to his rider, offering growls as his rider ranted, only half-listening to him.

"I've known Hiccup for years and then this guy just waltzes in and is trying to take over my job! He doesn't even know how to ride Dragons! I am SO much better than him, I am a way better leader than him! I mean it's hard being a leader and I'm doing my best! That stupid Eret is just a huge jerk!"

Snotlout kicked at a rock, walking further into the forest as he pushed past trees, glaring around, stomping with anger. Hookfang was having trouble getting around the trees and brush, growling, falling behind a ways, his rider not noticing.

"And I can't believe those guys are going to go with him! Ugh! How can they not understand how good of a leader I am, Hookfang? I'm the best of the best." He waited to hear a response from the Nightmare.

"Hookfang, I'm talking to you, answer me!" He growled, coming to a halt, turning around to look back at him, glaring when he saw Hookfang struggling to keep up through the brush. "Hookfang!"

Suddenly Snotlout heard a rustle in the bushes but before he could react, a hand clamped down over his mouth and yanked him back, muffling his screams, a dagger suddenly at his throat.

"Mmmm!" Snotlout screamed and flinched, going rigid with fear, the hand squeezing at his mouth tightly, his back pressed up against someone's stomach.

Hookfang saw the man grab his rider and roared out, eyes turning murderous, lighting himself aflame in fury, trampling through the trees blocking his path, rushing over.

Snotlout let out a whimper at the dagger and began to squirm, trying to thrash his head and kick in an attempt to get away, frightened because he didn't know who his attacker was.

Hookfang rushed over furiously, but more men emerged from the bushes, shooting arrows at the Dragon, one of them striking Hookfang in the neck.

"Hookfang!" Snotlout cried out, but his voice was muffled.

Hookfang roared in despair and tried to stay on his feet but couldn't, toppling over, crying out when he couldn't get back up, immobilized.

"Mmmm mmmm!" Snotlout cried out and jerked and pulled at the man holding him, desperately wanting to get to his dragon, yelping when other men started grabbing at him, pinning him to the ground, knocking his helmet off.

Whimpering with fear, startled, Snotlout trembled, attempting to get away but couldn't, men holding him down and already starting to tie him up.

"H-Hooky! Help!" He screamed, squeaking when a man grabbed at his face, another man pulling on his hair, making him whimper helplessly.

Soon a gag was stuffed into his mouth and Snotlout kicked as he tried to hold back tears, his ankles already bound together, trying to cry out for Hookfang. "Mmmm mmmm!"

He had no idea who these men were and what they were doing to him, fearing he was being kidnapped, terrified, wanting somebody to help him.

He cried out in despair when a sack was thrown over his head and everything went dark, making Snotlout panic even more, jerking around helplessly, his hands and feet tied together, crying out through his gag, thinking one of the Riders could hear him.

"Mmmm! Mmmmm!"

Suddenly he felt himself being picked up over someone's shoulder and frightened, he began to kick, jerking around, trying to pull his wrists free. He couldn't see anything underneath the sack and he could feel the man carrying him running off.

Again he tried to scream for help, calling for Hookfang, the twins, Fishface, anyone, even Eret, but no one came, unable to hear his muffled cries.

Hookfang lay slumped on the ground helplessly, crying out with painful despair as he was forced to watch the men run off with his rider, not even able to get up and save him, roaring as he tried to raise his snout, his warbling coming out as whimpers.

He couldn't see Snotlout anymore and he frowned deeply with a helpless roar, eyeing the stray helmet on the ground that had been left behind, knowing it was his rider's, crying out again.

And then he was left all alone.

* * *

Snotlout flinched as someone threw him down onto what felt like the deck of a ship, his back pressing up against something hard, guessing it was the mast. Murmured voices spoke around him and then the sack around his head was suddenly pulled away.

Snotlout shook his head, blinking to get his vision focused, raising his head to look at his captors.

His wide eyes locked with the smiling face of a slender, middle-aged man who looked surprisingly friendly, Snotlout suddenly reminded of Viggo.

"Welcome young Rider," The man greeted with a smirk. "So nice of you to join us."

 _As if I had a choice_ ….Snotlout glared, biting tightly on the gag in his mouth.

"Be sure and get comfortable. You'll be with us for quite awhile now." The man continued to smirk at him, reaching down, taking out his gag, letting it drop at his neck.

Snotlout's eyes were narrowed suspiciously, tense. "Who are you? What do you want with me?" He growled lowly.

"Well, you are the leader of the Dragon Riders, aren't you?"

Snotlout's eyes flickered at him. _How did he know that?_

"Being the leader of the Dragon Riders, well, with you captured, we can use you as leverage in order to take down the other riders, oh what fun that will be!"

Snotlout's frown deepened, swallowing hard. "Sorry but, they'll be long gone before you'll even get to them….."

The man's supposedly friendly smirk suddenly vanished. "What?!" He barked, suddenly snatching Snotlout's face, squeezing at him, making Snotlout cough.

"Th-They're-They're leaving…at morning." He flinched, wide-eyed with fear, gulping.

The man's eyes flickered, letting go of him, eyeing him closely, seeming to think Snotlout was bluffing. "Oh is that so? Without you…..?"

Snotlout glanced away, biting his lip, thinking of Eret, anger sparking in his mind. He didn't answer, eyes narrowed.

That seemed to reassure his captor, the man's smirk returning. "Oh. I see. Well then. Pity. They'll miss you, I'm sure. Too bad. Guess you'll jus have to do."

He then turned away, waving a hand to his men, one of them coming over, regagging Snotlout, who wrinkled his nose with a growl, shrinking back, biting down reluctantly.

One of the men than grabbed him by his hair and yanked, making Snotlout cry out, flinching when the man pushed him up against the mast, holding him there.

Snotlout then felt rope being tied around him, snorting, not bothering to struggle against them, knowing he couldn't get away like this.

He glared as the men finished tying him to the mast and walked away, discussing with their leader, most likely about the Riders, but he couldn't hear them.

Frowning, Snotlout began to jerk at the ropes, growling lowly, eyes narrowed in frustration. He then remembered when he was little and his father had worked with him on "mock-kidnappings," Spitelout completely convinced his son was going to be kidnapped at some point in his life, if not more than once.

Besides his father having gotten kidnapped by pirates when he was little, his brother getting murdered by the lot, Snotlout didn't know why his father was so paranoid.

His father literally would pretend to kidnap his son and go on to tell him about what to do if he were ever a hostage, forcing Snotlout to learn for himself what to do if ever caught in said situation.

Spitelout of course never told his son when he was going to practice these, no he surprised him, throwing him into a sack unexpectedly as he emerged from the forest, sneaking up behind him, catching him by surprise with a dagger to the throat, threatening him, all a little traumatizing for an ten year old.

The boy then had to learn how to get out of ropes and how to act around your captor, learning what to do and what not to do. Except back in the day, Spitelout was his mock-captor, which was terrifying to him of course so it never really went well for Snotlout and soon it just became an extension to Snotlout's punishments, before the man eventually gave up trying with his son.

Now, standing here bound and gagged, Snotlout remembered those days, those hours he spent trying to get free, his father refusing to help him or make it easy on him.

Scowling, Snotlout tried to shake the image of his father from his head, pulling at his wrists, trying to get away. But he could barely move and eventually, he let out a defeated whimper, giving up.

The sun had set by now and most of the Hunters had gone below deck, leaving Snotlout alone and tied to the mast, a chilling breeze blowing past, making the boy shiver, shaking his head, wanting to be freed, biting down on his gag reluctantly, which he hated.

 _At least the others are safe, even if I'm not their leader anymore_ , he thought to himself. _They'll be gone before the Hunters can get to them. I've done my part, I've kept them safe…_

Snotlout hoped Hiccup would at least be proud of him for that.

He knew his father wouldn't be proud of him for letting himself get captured, but Snotlout could care less about what his father thought.

He just hoped this worked out for everyone, including himself.

* * *

The sun rose above the Edge and all seemed at ease as the Riders slept calmly in their beds, Eret having taking shelter in Hiccup's hut for the night.

"GOOOOOOD MORNING, DRAGON'S EDGE!" Tuffnut's voice suddenly echoed over the island, awaking anybody who was still asleep from their slumber. "IT'S TUFFNUT!"

"AND RUFFNUT!"

"IN THE MORNING!"

Fishlegs came out of his hut rubbing at his face with a glare and Eret came out, just looking baffled.

"Wh-What's going on?"

"It's a twin thing." Fishlegs huffed, hoping that was enough of an explanation for the man, which it was.

"What are you guys doing? Meatlug was sleeping….."

"We just wanted to perform our morning show again! You know, to relive the glory days!" Ruffnut chirped, looking quite pleased with herself.

"It's just a pity that Chicken couldn't be here to join us today. She always did love our morning shows." Tuffnut shook his head, missing his pet who was back home on Berk.

"Oh gods…." Fishlegs rolled his eyes with a disapproving look, turning away. Eret just continued to look dumbfounded, blinking at the Twins, who he didn't really understand at all.

"Well, now that we're up then, I suppose we should be getting ready to head out then, shall we? We got a long journey ahead of us."

Fishlegs turned and opened his mouth to answer, Tuffnut's voice suddenly interrupting him.

"Hark! A wild dragon has been spotted!" He cried, pointing a finger, making everyone turn to see for themselves.

Fishlegs squinted as he looked up. "Is that….Hookfang?"

The Riders all tensed when they realized it was indeed Hookfang, Eret frowning, knowing that meant Snotlout was coming.

Hookfang came roaring down to the Vikings, bobbing his head around, whipping his tail around back and forth, snapping his teeth, growling and snorting, eyes wide, pupils narrowed into slits.

"Hookfang?" Eret frowned, surprised when he saw the Nightmare's saddle empty, confused by the Dragon's unusual behavior.

"Something's wrong with him," Fishlegs observed, eyebrows furrowed. "And where's Snotlout?"

"Hookfang, what's wrong boy?" Tuffnut hopped down, looking at the Dragon for an answer. "Hey look!" He suddenly pointed.

Fishlegs hurried over, following Tuff's finger. "Is that….Snotlout's helmet?" He frowned, spotting the Viking's helmet clutched carefully in his talons.

Hearing his rider's name, Hookfang roared out with a snort, raising his snout, moving his foot, setting the helmet in front of them as an indication, losing his patience.

The four Riders stared down at the helmet, looking slightly baffled. "Oh no." Fishlegs frowned. "Something must have happened to Snotlout. We have to go after him!"

Hookfang bobbed his head anxiously in agreement.

"Go after 'em? We don't even know where he is. 'Sides, I thought we weren't afflicting with that man no more."

"Eret." Fishlegs frowned at him.

"Alas, he does have a point." Ruffnut pointed out with a smile. "Yeah, why should we care about Snotlout?" Tuff joined in.

"Guys, he's one of us, we have to rescue him." Fishlegs urged, eyebrows furrowed.

"But we don't HAVE to rescue him." Ruffnut almost groaned, rolling her eyes.

"I agree. If he thinks he's so high and mighty about being a leader now than let him deal with it himself." Eret crossed his arms, frowning.

"Eret, we can't just leave him. I know Snotlout is difficult to handle but he's still our friend and we have to save him. We can't just leave him behind. Besides, what would Hiccup say?" Fishlegs huffed.

Eret put a finger to his chin. "Hmmm…..I guess you're right about that. My guess is he wouldn't like it."

"Of course he wouldn't! Now come on guys, Snotlout's in trouble….! Hookfang, lead the way, boy! We'll rescue him."

Hookfang perked up and roared, taking flight into the air, anxious and not having any patience to wait, looking at them with a mean look to hurry up and get on their dragons so they could go.

Soon, they all were in the air, Hookfang leading the way, hurrying to find their missing Rider, who they hoped hadn't gotten himself into too much trouble.

* * *

Snotlout was still bound to the mast, still gagged mind you, standing miserably, having hardly slept last night, it practically impossible to fall asleep when you were standing up. He did nod off from time to time in the night though, so he had managed to get some sleep.

Hunters wandered around the deck, the leader emerging from below, starting to give orders, no doubt about Snotlout, who frowned, watching them. He remained still, not bothering to struggle, having given up a long time ago.

He wondered how long he'd have to stay stuck to this mast, hoping it wasn't for much longer, wanting to be untied and get this dreaded gag out of his mouth.

Suddenly there was a loud slam of a noise, the boat suddenly rocking and faltering, sending everybody on the deck flying, Snotlout crying out, stuck to the mast.

He looked over to find the source of the noise, eyes widening when he saw his beloved Dragon popping up from the side.

"Hookfang!" He muffled out happily through his gag, managing a smile.

The Dragon roared gratefully at his rider, looking proud of himself, flapping hurriedly, anxious to get to him.

The leader of the Hunters got to his feet and looked up with wide eyes, spotting the dragon and more approaching, eyes narrowing, rushing over to Snotlout.

Hookfang snarled ferociously, eyes narrowing at the man, blasting fire at him, the man barely managing to dodge it, running to Snotlout who flinched, cutting the rope tying him to the mast free.

Snotlout attempted to dart away but the man grabbed him, starting to drag him off below deck, Snotlout crying out.

Hookfang was blazing mad and tried to fly over hurriedly but the archers on deck got in the way, shooting arrows at the Nightmare, trying to avoid the blasts of flame as Hookfang started shooting fire in all directions.

The leader dragged Snotlout below deck with a snarl, despite the boy's struggling, shoving him down onto the floor, stanced defensively in front of his captive if anyone tried to come down to take him, scowling.

Hookfang roared loudly, a deafening sound, blasting at the archers, evading bolas, lighting himself aflame, agitated, no longer able to see his beloved rider anymore.

"Blast it girl!" Fishlegs cried to Meatlug as he and the others approached, coming to join in the fight. Barf and Belch fired after Meatlug, sending the ship rocking and teetering, smoke rising from the impacts, a nasty hole now gauged into the side.

Eret flew in on Skullcrusher, the Rumblehorn blasting as well, creating a large hole in the deck, the dragons continuing to blast and fire in an attempt to save their captive rider.

The leader of the Hunters snarled from below deck, looking up through the now gaping hole above them, clenching his fist furiously, not wanting to lose his hostage, glaring above.

"Make a path for Hookfang guys! He can get Snotlout outta there!" Fishlegs shouted, glancing at the Riders who aimlessly flew about on their dragons, shooting at random, not exactly following a plan.

Snotlout looked up from the giant hole now above him, wide-eyed, cowered in his awkward-position on the floor, watching as his friends soared frantically through the air above, looking like they were struggling.

Suddenly a giant dragon snout poked through the hole, huge glowing eyes piercing through the dark, a low, threatening growl filling the air.

Snotlout perked up with a smile, looking up happily at his dragon, sitting up. "Hookfang!"

The Hunter yelped at the sight of the dragon, stepping back as Hookfang eyed him murderously, gaping with fear.

Hookfang snorted furiously at him, glaring, knocking the man over with his snout, growling as he then gently grabbed his rider in his teeth, picking him up, raising his head away, bringing Snotlout away to safety, who smiled happily, overjoyed to be rescued finally.

Hookfang sat him on the deck gently, roaring softly, cutting away at the ropes with a claw, making sure not to slice his arm.

When he was free, Snotlout was grinning, thankfully pulling away his gag. "Oh Hooky, thank you thank you thank you!" He hugged his dragon's snout, grateful, glancing up when he heard the Twins scream.

He watched his comrades fly about aimlessly, getting shot at and practically chased with bolas and arrows, the Riders clearly not communicating with each other with their attacks.

Snotlout's eyes went narrow, watching them. "What are they doing?! They're not even working with each other! They're gonna get killed! Come on, Hooky, we gotta get the order back together." He climbed onto his dragon's neck, who roared happily, taking off, flying after Meatlug as she darted away.

"Fishface! What do you think you're doing?! Get the order together! The Twins are in peril you mutton-head!" He shouted, pointing back at the Hideous Zippleback who was surrounded by archers, crying out helplessly.

"And where's that Son of Eret?!" Snotlout growled, looking back with a clenched fist, searching for him.

He turned to go and help the twins, Meatlug following, sending a blast at the Hunters below, the smell of burning flesh filling the air.

Catching sight of Eret, Snotlout growled at him. "Eret! Get your yak-dung together! Help out the others you mutton-head!"

Hookfang blast a stream of fire at the archers attacking Barf and Belch, Meatlug following suite.

When Barf and Belch were free, they flew higher into the air to get out of range, Snotlout beginning to give orders to the Twins.

"Ruff! Tuff! Circle the ship and blast it! Give it everything you got! Eret, blast the ship and Fishface, get the catapults! Take it down, guys!" He shouted, Hookfang already diving down to attack.

The dragons roared and began to dive, firing their attacks, smoke rising in the air, men screaming and yelling out, running around frantically.

Snotlout and Hookfang soared through the air rapidly, Hookfang blasting at a nearby bola about to hit Barf and Belch, saving them.

With all three dragons attacking, the ship was no longer even a ship, smoke rising into the air, the ship quickly beginning to submerge. The Riders flew away back to the Clubhouse, cheering out victoriously.

Snotlout gratefully hugged his dragon's snout again with a wide smile. "Thanks again for saving me, Hooky. I knew I could count on you."

The dragons landed at the clubhouse, Riders hopping to the ground one by one.

"Snotlout, you alright?" Fishlegs was the first to speak, looking at his friend with worry.

"I'm fine, but you guys sucked at rescuing me! You guys didn't even know what you were doing, you all nearly got killed!" Snotlout huffed, Hookfang snorting beside him.

"He's right. I have to admit, we were pretty sloppy back there." Eret frowned, rubbing at his neck.

"But Snotlout, you got us all back together, you did a great job, in fact." Fishlegs smiled faintly.

"Well of course I did, Fishface." Snotlout huffed loudly. "I'm the leader, remember? I knew what to do, unlike you guys."

"He's right." Eret spoke after a beat of silence, speaking softly. "You did a great job, Snotlout. I guess you are a great leader after all. I guess I owe you an apology." He sighed lowly, looking guilty.

Snotlout blinked, surprised. "Uh yeah. Yeah I guess you do."

"Well I'm sorry." Eret apologized softly. "Hiccup made the right choice to pick you, Snotlout. You should be proud to be leader, you play it well." He rested a kind hand on Snotlout's shoulder, smiling softly.

Snotlout grinned faintly at him, touched by the apology. "Thanks Eret. And maybe you aren't so bad after all but that doesn't mean I still don't like you."

Eret chuckled, as did the others, glad everything was back to normal.

"Well, now that I'm leader again, let's go see Queenie, ha ha!" He pumped a fist into the air, quite proud of himself.

"Snotlout, Snotlout, oi oi oi!"

 **A/N: Well, there you go. I do love that they had Eret and Snotlout bicker between each other in the 3rd movie, I thought that was a nice touch because their personalities do really conflict. It was surprising for me at the end though when Valka said Snotlout had the brains while Eret has the brawn; personally I think it's the other way around because Eret is pretty intelligent while Snotlout usually doesn't think before he acts...I dunno, maybe she just said that to make him feel better...? Idk.**

 **Next chap. won't be up for awhile now so please bear with me. I know I already have a long list of story ideas to write but I will still accept requests. It just means they may not get written up for awhile afterwards. Currently i'm working on one request and then writing another with my own ideas to follow but again, don't hesitate to request. A new idea popped into my head for a fic about Grimmel returning after the events of the 3rd movie (pretending he didn't drown) and using his "mind-controlling" serum to capture and gain control of everybody on the island, (I dunno if y'all have seen the fanart or even read fanfics about this but personally, I enjoy the concept) but I dunno if I could write this without a real storyline/plot because as of now it is only an idea. Maybe you guys could give me some suggestions or pointers for it...? Of course I want it to be centered around Snotlout and that's part of the problem but...I dunno, let's see if you guys have any ideas. (keep in mind, i'm always up for Snotlout-Whump...) Thanks all, see you next time which will hopefully be soon depending on how fast I can work...! :P**


	10. What Should Have Been

**What Should Have Been**

 **A/N: As requested: Snotlout reflects on what his life would've been like if he had trained the Dragons first**

 ** _To Clarify, this isn't imagined from Snotlout's perspective exactly, because we all know he would manipulate the entire story to his liking, but instead just the fact of what it would have been like if he really had been the first to train the dragons instead of Hiccup._**

 _SLAM!_

"Ugh, can you believe him?!" Snotlout growled as he stormed out of his house, wiping at the blood around his mouth, Hookfang following close behind. "Sometimes he jus'…ugh! Gah!"

Snotlout ranted and growled in frustration as he marched off for the forest, rubbing at his cheek even though it was his arm that was bleeding.

"I can't stand him sometimes, he jus' has no respect! How can he treat me like this, I'm his son!"

He glared as he marched along, ranting until they were far enough into the forest where he felt it was safe, Hookfang still keeping close as Snotlout plopped down onto a rock, letting out a frustrated huff, looking pained, eyes glassy. His face hurt.

Hookfang craned his neck close to him, warbling softly with worry, eyeing the blood running down Snotlout's forearm, a deep gash sliced into his flesh where his father had struck him with his axe.

Gingerly, he licked at his arm carefully with his tongue.

"Gah, aahh, don't do that, Hooky!" Snotlout winced, instantly pulling away, frowning painfully, sucking in a breath between his teeth.

The Nightmare warbled softly in sympathy, frowning at him.

Snotlout's wide eyes stared at his bloody arm, eyebrows furrowing tightly together, frowning deeply, letting out a scoff.

"You know what Hooky, so what if I'm not chief? How can he be so against me? I've been doing my best at everything my entire life and I'm the leader of the Dragon Riders now and still I'm not good enough for him….! How can nothing I do be good enough for him?!"

He growled, glaring, angered at his father for being so brutal to him his entire life.

"Hiccup's the chief now, I can't do anything about that, he just needs to lay off me, I'm not going to chief, sorry Dad!" He snorted. "I mean, I'd like to be, but, Hiccup's just much better at it. He's better at everything."

Hookfang watched him, roaring softly.

"I mean he trained the dragons, he defeated the Red Death, now Drago and now he's the chief of all of Berk. I bet my father's more proud of Hiccup than he's ever been of me, and Hiccup's not even his son….!" Snotlout huffed, fists clenching.

"It's not fair! I mean, I helped with all those things too! Mostly. Just think how proud of me he'd be if I were Hiccup, he'd be so proud of me! Jus' think, what if I had been the first one to train the dragons, then he'd be proud of me!"

Hookfang raised a brow at him with a questioning growl as if to say, _You training the dragons first?_

"Aw man, Hooky, if I had been the one to train the dragons, why, the whole village woulda been proud of me! Jus-Jus' think of it!" Snotlout was smiling now, chuckling, thrilled by the thought of everyone worshiping and praising him, mainly his father.

Hookfang roared again, questioning him, perplexed by the thought.

"Oh Hooky, jus' think of what my life could've been, should-should've been!"

* * *

"Rrrraaaaaaahhhh!"

"Dad no!" Snotlout yelped, gasping as his back painfully impacted with the wall. Another punch followed and Snotlout now hit the floor. "Dad stop!" He choked out through his tears as a dark shadow loomed over him.

"Why didn't ye tell me sooner?! Coulda saved yer old man the trouble!"

Snotlout yelped at the punch and cried, weakly blocking his face with his hands in an attempt to defend himself. "I-I didn't think it mattered!"

"Yeah, well it does matter, boy-o." Spitelout snapped, grabbing his son by his tunic, slamming him up against the wall. "Yer a fool, Snotlout! Quit embarrassin' yerself!"

"Li-Like I tried to set the Lukemaan's house on fire?!" Snotlout whimpered, shaking all over, receiving another blow to the stomach, making him yelp.

"Shut yer trap! I don't need your damn excuses!" Another punch.

Snotlout cried, attempting to push his father away so he would let go of him. "You-You better stop it before Mom gets home and sees you!" His voice shook with fear.

"Rrrrraaaahhh!" Spitelout snarled, smacking his son in the face, knocking him to the floor. "Yer the one who went behind me back and lied son!" He marched over to him, putting a knee down onto his chest, grabbing at his throat with a raised fist.

"I-I-I didn't lie to you!" Snotlout kicked, squeezing his eyes shut with a squeak, letting out a sob when his father hit him again. "St-Stop it, stop it!" He kicked helplessly, his father ontop of him.

The man snarled in fury, punching him again, trying to get Snotlout to stop struggling. "Rrraaah, I hate you son! Why can't you ever jus' listen to yer old man?! Yer a Jorgenson!"

Snotlout wriggled and thrashed his head back and forth, whimpering and crying as his father gripped his throat. "J-J-Jus' stop! Pl-Pl-Please daddy!"

"Rrrrr, how many times have I told ye to quit cryin', boy-o, ach, come here!" Spitelout snarled, snatching his son's face, squeezing tightly at his cheeks, fumbling a fist into his pocket. "Ye never could learn to shut up now could ye?!"

Snotlout was sobbing, trying to pull his head away, whimpering in pain. "No daddy, no please!"

"Hush!" His father snapped, squeezing his son's cheeks, forcing the boy's mouth open, stuffing a cloth between his teeth, muffling his cries. "Mmmm mmmm!"

When it was completely in his mouth, Spitelout slapped him. Hard.

"Well?! That's what ye get for not learning to shut up! I told ye to quit crying son, I barely even hit you!"

Snotlout sobbed, tears flowing down his cheeks, biting down tightly, shaking his head no at him, continuing to whimper. "Mmm mmmm mmmmm!"

Spitelout smacked him again, snarling. "Enough! Why don't ye just-"

"Spitelout!"

He heard an angry yell, making his fist freeze in mid-air, looking over to see his wife now standing in the open-doorway.

"Mmmm!" Snotlout muffled out at the sight of his mother, beyond relieved to see her, sniveling and whimpering, glad she was here to stop his father.

"June…." Spitelout looked surprised, getting off his son, frowning. "Uh, I…."

Snotlout whimpered and dashed to his feet when his father got off him, rushing to his mother to hug her, snuggling against her instantly, crying hard, hardly able to control his sobbing.

His mother wrapped a comforting arm around him with a soft, caring look of sympathy, indicating wordlessly to Snotlout that she loved him, which was what he needed.

"Here son…." She reached gently for his mouth and managed to remove the cloth from his mouth, his loud sobs filling the room when it was gone, crying into her tunic.

June tossed the cloth aside, looking murderously at her husband, beyond furious. "Spitelout! Again?! Why do ye do this?! To our son?!" She shouted at full volume.

"Oh don't start goin' on about me!" Spitelout shouted back, gesturing furiously with his arms. "It's the boy's fault! He's a screw-up!"

"He's fifteen! He makes mistakes! I told you to stop hitting him how could you do this again?!"

Snotlout pulled away from his mother as his parents screamed at each other, sniffling and cowering at their yelling with fear as he listened.

"He's our son, ye have to care for him! Why can't you have any respect for him?! Nothing he does is ever good enough for you!" June shouted, accusing the man.

"That's because he ain't good enough! Not for anything! I will never respect him! I hate him!" Spitelout was pointing an angry finger at his son. "He'll never be good enough and I don't care what I do to him! He might be my son but that don't mean I love him!"

Snotlout's frown deepened, his heart disintegrating into a million little pieces, tears leaking from his eyes, turning and running out of his room with a sob, needing to get out of there.

Bolting down the stairs as he cried, he could hear his mother shouting but he had no idea what she was saying, hearing the sound of a slap echo in the air followed by sobbing.

Choking on a sob, Snotlout continued to run, bursting out of his hut, heading straight for the forest, not daring to look back, partially blinded by his tears, swiping at his eyes frantically as he ran.

He ran and ran and didn't stop, not until he was able to catch his breath, trying to calm down, wheezing and choking on sobs, coming to a staggering stop, covering his eyes with his fists, wiping at them.

Lips quivering, whimpers came from his mouth and that's all he could hear, everything else silent but him.

Continuing to cry, Snotlout slowly stepped forward, one foot at a time, shaking everywhere, sobs of broken despair escaping him.

He wiped furiously at his eyes, unable to see through all his tears, not watching where he was going.

Sudden pain struck him in the leg as he walked straight into a branch sticking out from a log, the sharp tip gashing straight into his skin.

"Ow! Ow ow ow ow ow!" Snotlout yelped and winced in pain as he fell to the ground, clutching at his leg.

"Owww!" He whimpered, sniffling, glancing at his leg, a hole sliced into his pants, blood flowing out from a now nasty looking gash, getting everywhere.

Snotlout sat there clutching his leg in pain, whimpering through his tears, crying in pain, looking at the blood, the pain smarting badly, sucking in a painful breath through his teeth.

A twig snapped close by and Snotlout raised his head a little with a sniffle, gasping with horror when an immense red snout appeared beside him, yellow glowing eyes peering down at him.

Snotlout screamed and cried out in terror, starting to scramble away, crawling away on his back, struggling, bumping up against a rock. "Aaaahhh aaaahhh aaaahhhh!"

The dragon watched him, a low rumbling sound coming from him, watching curiously as Snotlout screamed and scrambled to get away.

Gasping and crying out in fear, Snotlout got to his feet to run, falling straight to the ground with a yelp, having forgotten about his leg, clutching it as it sparked again with pain, wincing painfully.

The dragon's eyes widened as he watched, spotting the blood on the boy's leg and now his palms, able to understand the boy was injured, starting to come closer.

Snotlout shrieked again with fear, scrambling to his feet to run away, falling again with a yelp, his injured leg smartly badly with pain, whimpering and crying out when the dragon's snout neared him, grabbing at his helmet, covering his face protectively.

"Aaaah, no no no no no!"

The dragon lowered his snout close to the boy's bleeding leg with soft eyes, letting out a low, soothing warble, carefully licking the boy's leg with his tongue.

Snotlout yelped in pain and winced, crying out as he pulled his helmet away, thinking the dragon was eating him, gawking at it in terror when he saw it, whimpering with fear.

The dragon warbled softly again, continuing to lick at the blood a second time.

Snotlout winced in pain but frowned with huge eyes as he watched. _Why wasn't this dragon eating him?!_

The dragon licked a third time and Snotlout pulled his leg away, wincing with pain, the touch stinging him, breathing heavily as he didn't take his eyes off the beast in front of him.

The Nightmare cocked his head a little, watching him, seeming to think, unfolding his wings and before Snotlout knew what was happening, the dragon had grabbed ahold of the back of his tunic with his claws, taking off into the air with him.

"Aaaaahhh! No no no! Help!" Snotlout screamed, over-ridden with panic, jerking around, completely terrified, looking down at all the trees and rocks as they flew past.

 _This was it! He was gonna die!_

"Aaaaaah! Help me!" He screamed as loud as he could, kicking and flailing around everywhere. "Help!"

The dragon ignored his screaming and suddenly lowered and descended with a low rumble, dropping Snotlout gently by a small pond, landing on his feet.

Snotlout gasped and crawled back a little with a whimper, sure the dragon was going to eat him, now able to see the Nightmare's entire body, boy was he huge!

The dragon watched him and then lowered his snout a little, nodding towards the water next to them, waiting and watching him expectantly.

Snotlout's eyes were wide, not at all understanding any of what was going on, breathing heavily with fear, eyeing the dragon with a fearful frown.

When Snotlout didn't move, the dragon warbled again, nodding to the water, nudging at Snotlout gently.

The Viking gasped and went rigid, but frowned when that was all the dragon did.

Still trying to figure out why this dragon hadn't eaten him yet, Snotlout swallowed hard, glancing at the pond, then at his bleeding leg.

Looking back at the dragon, starting to realize what to do, he frowned, but reached his hands over into the water nevertheless.

The dragon cocked his head with calm, curious eyes, watching closely.

Snotlout cupped some water from the pond into his hands, pouring it onto his leg, washing the blood away. He hissed in pain, but it didn't hurt as bad as when the dragon had licked the wound instead.

He repeated this a few times, glancing suspiciously at the dragon in front of him, who sat calmly, swishing his tail back and forth.

After getting his leg cleaned, it appeared the gash had stopped bleeding and didn't seem to hurt as much, thanks to the water. Snotlout frowned, swallowing hard, glancing over.

"Uhhh, thanks?" He almost squeaked out, not quite sure what to make of this.

The dragon blinked and seemed to nod a little, letting out a soft warble in response, almost looking pleased.

Snotlout continued to frown, still baffled, starting to get up, wondering if this dragon wasn't actually going to eat him. He got to his feet to walk away but as soon as he took a step forward he fell, his leg still painfully smarting.

"Gah!" He fell, suddenly falling onto something hard before he could hit the ground, blinking with relief before he looked down to see it was the dragon's snout that had caught him.

"Aaah!" He gasped and jerked away, still frightened, eyeing the Nightmare with suspicious eyes.

The dragon blinked at him and pulled away a little, letting out a sort of grumble, letting out a little snort.

Snotlout's eyes then narrowed, deciding he had had enough of this dragon. "Go-Go on! Get outta here! Fly away, get get!" He waved his arms at him, trying to tell him to leave.

The dragon blinked with surprise, not seeming to understand, watching him.

"Go on get outta here, leave you stupid dragon!" Snotlout shouted at it, scowling.

The dragon's eyes widened and then narrowed, starting to growl, a puff of smoke billowing from his nostrils. He then snorted and raised his wings.

"Yeah go on, get outta here!" Snotlout huffed, watching the dragon take off and disappear into the sky, snorting when it was gone. "Hmmph. Whatever that was all about."

He then turned to go home, growling in pain when he fell again, cussing his leg, frowning at it as he realized he'd have to limp home.

Great.

* * *

"Mom!" Snotlout flung open the door to his house, limping inside, spotting his father at the table, who looked up in alarm, raising a brow.

June looked over from the pot of stew she was making. "Snotlout?" She then saw him limping. "Are you limping?"

"What'd ye do to yer leg there, boy-o?" Spitelout gestured, frowning at him.

Snotlout grunted, coming over to his mother. "Yeah, I'm hurt, can you please jus' clean it up? It hurts!" He whined, wanting the pain to go away.

"Sure," His mother put a hand on his shoulder. "Be right back." She pulled up a chair for him, going off to get some bandages.

Snotlout sat, glancing awkwardly at his father who sat at the table, swallowing hard, remembering their fight. His father didn't seem to be paying him any mind though, sipping from his tankard.

Remembering the odd encounter with the dragon, Snotlout's eyebrows furrowed, biting his lip. "Hey uh, dad? About dragons…..is there any sorta way some of them might not be out to kill?"

Spitelout put down his drink, looking up at him incredously. "What are ye goin' on about askin' something like that? Ye lost yer yak brain?"

"Uh no, no," Snotlout quickly looked away, managing a nervous grin. "Heh, jus' wonderin' I guess. Ya know, for the class of course."

Spitelout frowned at him. "Well, you are taking the class the KILL the dragons, boy-o. Ye know that don't you?"

"Ha ha ha, of course, obviously!" Snotlout laughed, rubbing at his neck, glancing up at his mother with relief when she returned.

"Okay Snotlout, here we go."

"What about you, mom? You know any dragons that don't kill people?" He watched her as she bent down in front of him, beginning to inspect his leg.

June raised her head to look at him with a frown, shaking her head no. "Dragons, they're awful creatures, son. Of course they're killers, they breathe fire for Thor's sake."

"Oh. Of course, yeah, right." Snotlout nodded slowly, mouth a tiny 'o'.

He then heard his father clear his throat and glanced over to see him get up, carrying his tankard with him. "Well, I'm goin' to see Stoick. Ye two have fun talkin' nonsense."

He closed the door loudly without another word and Snotlout blinked, glancing at his mother, shifting a little in his seat.

 _They're right. It is nonsense. Dragons are killers. There's no way they couldn't be. That dragon….that dragon must have been abnormal. Why else would dragons be attacking their village for centuries? Certainly they must all be out to kill._

 _But then…why didn't this one?_

* * *

The next day, at Dragon Training, Snotlout tried to ask Gobber the same question he asked his parents.

"So uh, what about Monstrous Nightmares?! Will we learn about those dragons?!" He shouted, stepping aside out of the way of Ruff and Tuff who darted past him, glancing at the Gronckle chasing after Hiccup.

"The Monstrous Nightmare is the most dangerous dragon after Night Furies. Only the one who does the best at training will get to face off with one." Gobber drawled, keeping an eye on Hiccup for protection as he fled.

"So uh, if they're the toughest, that means they're deadly, right?" Snotlout called back, flinching when he heard the Gronckle roar nearby, looking over fearfully to see Astrid coming in to fend the dragon off.

"All dragons are deadly, Snotlout," Gobber huffed at him. "Now get in there and do somethin'!"

Snotlout frowned a little, watching Astrid dodge out of the way of a lava blast, her axe gripped tightly in her hands as she swung, Tuffnut jumping ontop of the dragon with a war cry.

The dragon snarled and began jerking and thrashing around, throwing Tuffnut off her, knocking Astrid down as she flew past her, suddenly coming straight for Snotlout, who gasped when he saw her.

He panicked a little with big eyes, looking around to figure out what to do, gripping his shield tighter, yelping when the dragon suddenly pounced on him, literally pinning him down.

He cried out and squirmed, faintly hearing Gobber shout his name nearby, gaping up with terror at the beast ontop of him, able to see her mouth lighting up with flame as she ignited her lava, making him gasp again, whimpering with fear.

"Do something Snotlout!" He heard Gobber shout at him, making him flinch, eyes narrowing at the Gronckle, kicking his legs frantically, managing to get her off.

She yelped and shook her head, growling angrily, blasting her lava near him, Snotlout dodging the blast just in time, somersaulting to his feet, scowling, deciding to take action.

He ran up to the dragon and knocked her in the face with his shield, punching her with a fist, hitting her until she growled and turned away in retreat, Gobber getting ahold of her. "Well done, Snotlout."

Snotlout exhaled, catching his breath, leaning on his knees, swallowing hard, glancing up as the other teens watched him, sending them a narrowed, proud look, huffing to himself.

 _Of course they were all right, dragons are just killers. How could he be so stupid to think otherwise?_

And to prove it to himself, Snotlout decided he was going to go back into those woods and kill that dragon, just for the sake of it.

Besides, if he managed to kill an entire dragon, a Monstrous Nightmare no less, maybe his father will finally respect him.

* * *

"Alright you can do this. No turning back now. Snotlout Snotlout, oi oi oi…." Snotlout murmured faintly under his breath, clutching his axe tightly as he made his way through the forest past Raven Point, admittedly a little nervous.

He looked around, wondering if a dragon would leap out at any minute and just devour him. He didn't want that.

He tried to remind himself of some tips his father told him about dragon-killing, but his anxiety and anxiousness was so high, he was unable to jog his memory, figuring he'd wing it.

How hard could it be, right?

His father and the other Vikings killed dragons all the time. Why shouldn't he?

Glancing around, Snotlout thought the trees surrounding him looked vaguely familiar, as if he recognized the spot, but he wasn't sure. Everything looked the same in the forest: trees. In all directions.

Snotlout was starting to get impatient. He had been walking for what felt like hours and no sign of the dragon. He growled, starting to fiddle anxiously with his axe, wanting to put it to use already.

"Ugh, come on already!" He groaned, his feet starting to drag. Maybe it was stupid deciding to come out here…..

Then he heard a sound. A loud sound. A roar.

He perked up, starting to crouch a little as he came up a slope, peering over the edge to look down below. And there was his dragon, drinking innocently from a small stream.

Snotlout grinned, eyes lighting up happily, anticipation rising. This will be easy…

He started climbing over the slope, sliding down a ways, approaching the beast, trying to be as quiet as he could. The Nightmare hadn't noticed, continuing to drink, tail swishing back and forth repeatedly.

Snotlout snuck up behind it with a grin, clutching his axe tightly, raising it when he got close.

 _You can do this, you can do this. Do this for your father, make him proud Snotlout! Make him respect you!_

"Aaaaahhhh!" Snotlout let out a war-cry as he raised his axe, preparing to toss it at the dragon's throat, hoping not to miss.

The dragon's head bolted up, snout whipping around to face him, pupils narrowed into slits, a loud, threatening rumble emitting from him.

Snotlout flinched a little, eyes widening and then he threw his axe, watching it fly.

The axe luckily flew impressively threw the air, only to dink the Nightmare on one of his horns, barely making a dent, then falling straight to the ground.

The Monstrous Nightmare snarled viciously when the axe hit him, raising his snout even higher, staring straight down at Snotlout, who gasped fearfully.

He stood frozen, unsure of what to do, wondering if these moments would be his last, staring at the Nighmare's huge teeth.

Suddenly the dragon rose up into the air with a snarl, flapping his wings, grabbing Snotlout in his claws, taking off into the air at full speed.

"Aaaaaaahhhhh! Not again! No! Aaaaahhhhhh!" Snotlout screamed, flailing around a little, frightened, looking down at the land far below them, crying out. "Okay, okay I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean anything! I-I-I meant to miss hitting you!" He tried, voice shaking, clinging to the dragon's foot despite being terrified of him.

The dragon snorted and flew straight into the air as fast as he could, deciding to make a sharp left turn, diving down into the air snout first, spinning rapid, quick circles, huffing when the Viking in his clutches screamed even more.

"Aaaaaaahhhh aaaaaahhh! Stop! Stop spinning! STOP! Help!" Snotlout screamed, everything spinning as the dragon literally tumbled through the air, spinning and spinning over and over, stopping only to make an immensely sharp turn, flying above the trees closely, tossing Snotlout into one of them with a snort.

"Whoa!" He yelped, scrambling to grab ahold onto a branch, clinging to it desperately, practically dangling. "H-Hey!"

The dragon glanced back at him with narrowed eyes and Snotlout swore it almost looked like the dragon was smirking, flying back down near the stream, acting as nothing had even happened.

Snotlout watched him, eyebrows furrowed, still catching his breath.

 _What had just happened? Had that dragon just tried to kill him? But he didn't…I'm still alive. Doesn't that go against what everybody had literally just told him?_

Wide-eyed, Snotlout frowned, confused. _Did this dragon want to kill him or not? Maybe it was just messing with him? Taunting him before it decided to eat him?_

He started easing himself down the tree branches by climbing, continuing to watch the red beast, tensing when he saw him near his fallen axe.

"H-Hey! L-Leave that alone, that's my axe!" Snotlout called out to it with a mean look, glaring.

The dragon looked up at him for a moment and then glared, snorting with a shake of it's head, knocking the axe straight into the water with a growl, watching it sink.

"Hey! Ugh, you stupid dragon! Dad is gonna kill me!" Snotlout growled as he made it down the tree, hurrying over, glaring.

The dragon cocked his head at Snotlout, sniffing, almost looking amused, bobbing his head a little.

Snotlout scowled, seeing there was no way he was getting his axe back unless someone swam down and grabbed it. "Ugh, you better get that back! Go on! Go get it!" He huffed at the dragon, eyes narrowed.

The Nightmare shrinked his snout back with a narrowed look, snarling, immediately looking irritated at the yelling, lashing his snout out with a growl, knocking Snotlout into the water.

Snotlout yelped and sputtered, bobbing back to the surface, flailing, not sure of what had just happened, unsure if he had gotten eaten or not. "Woah, aaah, Great Odin's Ghost, Oh Thor!"

He looked over to see the Nightmare's huge snout and heard a noise coming from him. Was that dragon _laughing_ at him? Sure sounded like it.

Snotlout's eyes went narrow, growling. "Ugh." He started swimming to the shore, glaring up at the dragon. "Stupid dragon. I should kill you for this."

The dragon snarled and Snotlout yelped when he was suddenly picked up in its jaws, crying out with fear, the dragon tossing him aside with an angry growl, bobbing his head around, looking annoyed.

Snotlout's shoulder hit the ground, rolling a little, shaking his head as he looked up just in time to see the Nightmare snort, puffing out a billow of smoke in his direction.

"Hmmph." Snotlout scowled, getting to his feet, starting to get annoyed. "You sure are one stubborn dragon. You enjoying yourself?" He called out with a huff, wringing out his hair.

The Nightmare blinked, seeming to smirk, snorting again, warbles escaping his throat with a sort of happy purr.

Snotlout scowled at him, disliking his reaction, eyeing the dragon suspiciously. "So um…you're not going to eat me?" He questioned lowly, still unsure.

His whole life he had been taught to fear and kill dragons that was all he's ever known. He had just attempted to kill this one but how could he kill the dragon now if it didn't even pose as a threat?

Wasn't that wrong to kill the innocent? He didn't know.

The dragon cocked his head as he looked at Snotlout, as if he was questioning him, inching forward a little.

He began sniffing the boy, taking in his scent, snorting, letting out a noise, suddenly snatching up Snotlout's helmet in his teeth, startling him.

"Hey! Give that back!" He growled, watching as the dragon starting gnawing on the horns, seeming to enjoy chewing on it, looking pleased.

"H-Hey! Quit it!" Snotlout frowned as he watched, not wanting to get his helmet wrecked, knowing his dad will kill him if he found out, reaching out for it with grabby hands to snatch it away. "Give it!"

He yanked it out of the Nightmare's huge teeth, helmet now coated and dripping with saliva.

The dragon froze with piercing eyes, giving Snotlout a death-glare and a growl, making Snotlout's eyes widen, frowning suddenly with fear. "Oh no."

The Dragon slapped him hard with his tail, sending Snotlout flying, tumbling and somersaulting over himself across the grass, crying out.

And then he heard that sound from the dragon again, that laughing sound.

Snotlout growled, frustrated, pushing himself up off his stomach, whipping around to glare. "I don't have to take this you know!" He put his dripping-with-saliva-helmet on his head, starting to stomp off. "I'm goin' home! I get pushed around enough by my father as it is." He snorted lowly.

The Nightmare seemed to frown, cocking his head, craning his neck after Snotlout, starting to follow after him.

Snotlout tensed, eyes narrowing again. "Hey! You can't come home with me! Stay put you stupid dragon….." He kept marching off, hearing the dragon snort and then fly away, turning to see it was gone.

He blinked, the woods suddenly strangely quiet and an odd feeling filled his chest.

He realized he suddenly missed the dragon being there with him, not used to the feeling, immediately trying to put it out of his mind, knowing it was wrong to be thinking like this.

But yet, what everybody else had told him about the dragons seemed to be wrong, so why shouldn't this be wrong?

* * *

The next day at Dragon Training, Snotlout was thinking hard, admittedly distracted by the dragon they were supposed to be fighting, a quick-on-her-feet Deadly Nadder, currently chasing after Fishlegs.

"Find it's blind-spot!" Gobber was shouting. "The rest of ye, get in there an' help! Snotlout!"

"H-Huh?!" Snotlout head jerked up, looking up with surprise. "Oh."

He started to jog towards the dragon with axe in hand, stopping as the twins suddenly burst in before he could, surrounding the dragon to attack with Astrid on the opposite surrounding side.

"Hiccup, get in there!" Gobber shouted.

The dragon roared and slashed her tail at the twins, knocking them over completely, whipping around to face Astrid, blasting at her, flapping into the air to avoid any more attacks, squawking.

"Snotlout, your turn, do something!"

Snotlout's eyes widened and then narrowed, huffing, chucking his axe upwards, the dragon blocking the weapon with her horn, sending it flying, shooting several spikes down at them angrily, sending them jumping back.

"What do you do when a dragon is airborne? How do you get it down?" Gobber continued.

"Heh, rip it's wings off…..!" Tuffnut smirked happily, chuckling with his sister.

"That's one way to put it! Now get her down from there, kids!"

The dragon was circling above them, roaring with agitation, her spikes ready to shoot, eyeing them all wearily, like a buzzard.

"Quick, throw me up there!" Tuffnut grinned. "Okay!" Ruff agreed, letting Tuffnut step onto her hands as she bent down, lifting him up with a toss, making him face plant onto the ground, immediately bursting into laughter at him.

The others pretty much ignored them, Astrid taking her turn at throwing her axe, the dragon slashing it away with her tail, squawking with anger, suddenly diving down, claws spread apart, ready to snatch them.

The teens gasped and jumped out of the way, except for Hiccup, who unfortunately was the one to get grabbed, getting hauled up into the air as high as she could go, yelling out and screaming.

"Hiccup!" Gobber shouted, the other teens looking up to gawk, startled.

Astrid jumped over to Fishlegs and ripped the axe out of his hands, tossing it straight into the air, luckily managing to hit the dragon who dropped Hiccup in surprise.

"Whoah! Aaaaaahhhhh!" Hiccup screamed as he fell through the air, falling ontop of Fishlegs before he could react, knocking him to the ground.

Snotlout watched as the dragon suddenly dove down, suddenly coming straight at him and he gasped, eyes going huge with fear.

The Nadder stopped right in front of him, cocking her head and sniffing at him, and Snotlout couldn't move, both frightened yet confused, looking at her closely, remembering how the Monstrous Nightmare had behaved.

It never seemed to have the will to attack, unless it was angry or felt threatened. So if he didn't do anything to aggravate her, she wouldn't attack him, right?

He watched her, unmoving and it appeared as if it was working. She was sniffing him and slowly her narrowed eyes became friendly, squawking curiously. Snotlout blinked, eyes softening, the corners of his lips slowly quirking into a smile, almost amazed.

Suddenly there came a clang as Astrid chucked her axe at the beast, the blade hitting the wall behind them, making Snotlout gasp and flinch from the loud sound.

The dragon didn't like it either and her head whipped around with an angry squawk, turning to run at Astrid to attack, defending herself, shooting spikes at her, Astrid dodging and jumping aside to avoid them.

Snotlout watched her with wide eyes as she ran, seeing her nearly collide into Hiccup and Fishlegs, who the dragon turned her attention to instead. She attacked with her spikes and then her magnesium blasts, wings spread out in defense, squawking and snorting at the teens as she knocked them away and kept them busy.

Snotlout frowned, beginning to understand and realise that this dragon was only defending herself. They were the ones attacking her.

Just like him with the Nightmare; he had tried to attack him and then the dragon defended himself. But he didn't kill Snotlout. If he wanted to, he would've by now.

And this Nadder; if she really was out to kill and wanted to eat them, she certainly would have done it by now.

No, this was all different, this was starting to form a connection, one Snotlout had never even thought to consider before.

And he was determined to make sense of it now.

* * *

"Hey dragon…" Snotlout sing-songed, making his way through the forest, looking around sort of timidly, not sure if he would see him or not. He carried no weapon this time, remembering how that spiel had went down the first time and he did not want to end up in another tree.

"Come on …..I know you're around here somewhere….where are you?" He hopped over a log, ducking under some branches, pursing his lips together as he searched, hoping he could find him.

"Ugh…..come on already!" He was starting to get impatient now, having been wandering around for what felt like hours. "Show yourself you stupid dragon!" He snapped.

Snotlout heard a loud snort and looked over to see an angry snout pop up from behind some rocks a ways off, glowing eyes narrowed at him.

Despite the dragon's angry look, Snotlout grinned, perking up. "Heeeyyy! There you are!"

He started coming over, completely forgetting about the fears he once had associated with him previously. The dragon's eyes softened and he cocked his head a little, watching Snotlout jog over.

"You remember me, right? I jus' wanted to-"

The dragon suddenly growled at him lowly as Snotlout got close, making the Viking freeze, eyes widening. "Whoa, hey, it's alright…..I'm not here to hurt you. It's me, Snotlout. Remember?"

He watched the Nightmare who eyed him closely, eyes peering at him, large nostrils sniffing at him curiously. He then seemed to soften and relax as he took in Snotlout's scent, a low purr of a warble emitting from his throat.

Snotlout took this as a good sign, beginning to smile. "Yeah…your old chum Snotty….Right?" He stuck out a hand to pet the dragon, coming closer, earning another growl, louder this time.

He stopped and frowned, not understanding. "What's the matter?"

The dragon moved his snout away from the hand, not trusting the teen yet and Snotlout seemed to get the message, slowly pulling his hand away, letting it fall.

He thought for a moment, a realization dawning on him. "Hey, you don't have a name. I suppose you need a name so I have somethin' to call you by, huh?"

The Nightmare cocked his head, watching as Snotlout put a hand to his chin. "Hmmmmm…let's see. How about…..Fireclaw?!"

The dragon's eyes narrowed and he snorted, giving Snotlout a questioning look.

"Okay, okay, Blazefire? Blazefang?" More snorts and grumbles.

"Scorchfire? Heatwave? Hotfang?" The dragon didn't seem to be approving of any of these.

"Well what do you want?! I could just name you Stupid Dragon ya know!" Snotlout snapped, huffing.

The dragon bobbed his head around with a growl, moving closer to Snotlout, biting onto his helmet, beginning to chew.

Snotlout scowled and moved away, giving it to him, knowing the dragon was going to get his way anyways.

The dragon grinned and continued to gnaw on the horns, using his claws to hold onto the helmet and keep it in place, Snotlout watching him.

"Hmmm…well, ya got claws….pretty sharp ones too…..like hooks…..how about…..Hookfang?"

The dragon looked up and lifted his head, blinking at Snotlout curiously, who grinned at the reaction.

"Well, Hookfang it is then! I like that name. Of course 'cause I came up with it…..you like that name, boy?"

Hookfang picked up the Viking helmet in his teeth, saliva dripping everywhere, tossing it at Snotlout with a snort, laughing afterwards when the helmet hit Snotlout straight in the face.

Snotlout growled angrily, scowling as he rubbed at his nose. "Hookfang…" He grumbled under his breath. He bent down to pick it up, shaking his head, having forgotten how stubborn and mischievous this dragon was.

Putting his helmet back on his head, Snotlout let out a soft sigh. "Well Hookfang, I just came out to uh…ya know, check up on ya." He rocked on his toes. "How-How are ya?"

Hookfang cocked his head, snorting, moving away to lie himself down for a nap, bored.

Snotlout blinked, watching the dragon lie down and close his eyes. "Oh. You're tired huh….? Well, don't mind me, I'm just going to….."

Slowly he began to tip-toe closer, wanting to reach out and touch his rocky scales, smirking as he stuck out his hand.

"That's it, you just keep sleeping big boy….." He grinned when Hookfang didn't notice, reaching his hand out, gently putting his hand on the dragon's snout, stroking it softly.

Hookfang's eyes opened and a sort of growl escaped him, eyes flickering to Snotlout with a glare.

Snotlout frowned a little with an open mouth but nevertheless continued to pet softly, the dragon's scales rough and bumpy, but smooth.

Hookfang softened and eventually he relaxed, purring, loving the touch, happy. Snotlout grinned, amazed with himself, taking his hand away to look at it, thrilled that this dragon now trusted him enough to be petted, unable to believe this beast was so friendly, even if he was overly stubborn.

"Wow…." He breathed out. "This whole time, everyone's been wrong. You guys aren't bloody killers."

Hookfang cocked his head, letting out a snort, eyes narrowed.

Snotlout then frowned. "Imagine what everyone would think if they found this out…..oh Thor, that would be…..but knowing them, they prolly wouldn't believe it." He sighed, petting Hookfang again.

"Well Hookfang, we're jus' going to have to keep this a secret. For now anyways. Gods know what my father would do if he found out about you." He almost shuddered at the thought, not wanting to have to go through that.

Hookfang warbled softly, as if he were agreeing.

"So uh, now that I know you won't….eat me alive," Snotlout chuckled lowly, shrugging. "What should we do now?"

Hookfang scratched at his neck with a talon, looking at Snotlout curiously, letting out a soft roar, outstretching his wings.

"Oh you wanna go for a little flight?" Snotlout blinked, watching. "Oh well…..that might be cool…." He just hoped it wouldn't be the same as yesterday with all the spinning and getting tossed into a tree.

Hookfang looked at him, his snout lowered to the ground, roaring softly at Snotlout, who perked up.

"You mean….? I can, ride you?" He said lowly, hesitant. He had never ridden on a dragon before, obviously. He wasn't sure what to quite expect.

But, this dragon trusted him now. Clearly he didn't seem too eager to kill Snotlout anytime soon so what could go wrong?

He started coming over, still a little timid and afraid. "Uhhhh, okay then…..i'm about to ride a dragon then…..oh boy." He came over to the dragon's neck, eyeing it, slowly stepping over and sitting down, grabbing onto Hookfang's horns. "Uhhh, okay, okay…."

Hookfang warbled a little and bobbed his head, taking off, flying upwards.

Snotlout yelped with fear, holding on tightly to Hookfang's horns with a death-grip, fearing he would fall off. "Oh gods, oh Thor! Whoa! Okay, okay!" He looked down, eyes widening when he saw how high up they were going, his stomach churning a little.

"Okay, okay okay! Uh, you seem to know what you're doing here but uh…..i'm kinda new at the whole flying thing!" He shouted, shaking, practically ontop of Hookfang's snout, looking down fearfully. "Oh Thor."

Hookfang warbled and slowed down a little, flying smoothly through the air, not too high up but just right, the breeze helping him glide along.

Snotlout continued to shake, looking down. "Ugh, okay okay, easy…..I still don't…..whoa…." He gradually managed to relax and calm down, suddenly awed as he looked down, mesmerized by everything looking so tiny down below.

He sat back a little, looking down as they glided overhead. "Wow, this is….this is actually pretty cool." He started to grin, relaxed now, the wind blowing through his hair, giving him chills that added to his exhilaration. "I never knew flying could be so…awesome, ha ha."

Hookfang grinned and warbled a little, flying over the sea, clouds drifting past them.

"Wow….jus' think what everybody else would think if they knew what flying feels like. Bet they'd all be jealous, ha ha. Why haven't I figured this out sooner?" Snotlout grinned, enjoying himself, relaxed as he sat atop Hookfang's neck, who glided along smoothly, content happily as well.

They flew along for a short time before Hookfang started descending slowly to a nearby island.

Snotlout blinked, looking down. "Whoa boy, where we goin'? What's down there?"

Hookfang landed on his feet, warbling out as he sniffed the air, Snotlout getting off of him, wobbling on his feet a little. "Whoa, ha ha…..this place seems nice." He looked around to see trees and brush nearby, looking peaceful, everything quiet.

Hookfang started walking off and Snotlout followed, wanting to stay with him, glancing around. "Cool place, Hooky. This like your home?"

Hookfang was sniffing some flowers, growling at a bumblebee, moving along. Snotlout stayed close, looking around him with a grin, enjoying the quiet. "Man, I could get used to this place…..maybe I could come out here instead of the forest whenever I need to…uh, ya know…." His voice drifted off, pursing his lips together, thinking of his father.

They kept walking, Hookfang seemingly leading the way, Snotlout happy and content to be there with him, still taking in everything and the fact he was here with a dragon that he had just ridden, still boggled.

Another dragon suddenly appeared out of nowhere, popping up from some bushes with a snort, startling Snotlout.

"Aaaaahh! Oh Thor! Get back!" He jumped back, scrambling under Hookfang's wing to hide himself.

Hookfang's eyes widened in surprise and he snorted, reaching his snout over and grabbing Snotlout by his teeth, placing him in front of the Nadder with a huff, the dragon watching curiously, having came closer.

Snotlout flinched and cringed away, back bumping up against Hookfang's snout, trembling a little, frowning when Hookfang roared softly at him. "Uhhhhh, I-I uh….h-hi …." He gave a shaky wave, grinning nervously.

It was one thing to encounter a dragon in their training arena, but to come across one in the wild, Snotlout wasn't sure if this dragon would be friendly or not, fearing he would get eaten.

The Deadly Nadder squawked softly, sniffing, cocking his head, intrigued by Snotlout's presence.

Snotlout was watching him closely and seeing as this dragon hadn't attacked him, yet, he began to relax, reminding himself that dragons aren't the killers they were presumed to be, it was just somehow a sort of misunderstanding.

Still trembling and whimpering a little, Snotlout swallowed hard, extending a hand. "Uhhh, well, assuming you won't eat me, I'll-I'll jus'….reach my hand out….." The dragon sniffed the hand and watched it closely, snorting.

And then he leaned his head towards it, leaning in to Snotlout's touch, who froze and gawked, completely surprised. "Wh-Whoa….ha ha!" He laughed a little, Hookfang warbling softly behind him.

The Nadder was purring happily, looking content, Snotlout petting him softly.

"Th-This whole time…everyone's been wrong. This…..this changes everything…!" Snotlout mused to himself, still amazed, grinning. "Who woulda thought…..this entire time…." He took his hand away, looking back at Hookfang who raised his head a little, perking up.

Snotlout looked at him and then grinned, petting the dragon's snout smoothly, Hookfang purring. "Don't worry, Hooky…..now that I know….the-the truth, really….I'm not going to let anything happen to you. And, imma-imma try to not hurt any more dragons…..okay?"

Hookfang opened his eyes to look at his rider, letting out a happy warble in agreement, believing the fifteen-year old's words, trusting him.

* * *

Snotlout spent the entire afternoon with Hookfang, enjoying himself, never before thinking he'd ever spend time with a dragon, believing the act to be forbidden, dragons once being killers. But here he was now. And he felt happier than ever.

He hardly even remembered the time where he feared dragons anymore, that was in the past.

He lay up against Hookfang's chest, the dragon's snout in his lap as he pet him, both sitting atop a Cliffside, watching the sunset.

Previously they had explored the entire island, went fishing and chased some sheep, worry and carefree.

Snotlout's hair was damp from when they had went fishing and Hookfang had knocked him into the water, the dragon playing his mischievous tricks on his new friend of course, but he didn't care about that now.

He sighed happily. "Oh Hookfang…..this has been…..awesome. You're way more fun than my other friends back home. If you can call 'em friends." He snorted. "They're really all just mutton-heads, especially the twins. And Hiccup and Fishlegs are so useless they don't count for anything. The only one even worth talking about is Astrid, who I'm going to marry someday." He grinned, pointing to himself happily.

Hookfang let out a soft roar, listening closely. "Ahhh, but this, this is nice. Thanks Hooky." Snotlout smiled, yawning softly, watching the sun go down peacefully.

"Jus' you, me, and this pretty sun-set. Wait, sun-set?!" Snotlout suddenly sat up in alarm, making Hookfang raise his snout. "Oh no, sun-set! I-I gotta get home, Dad is gonna kill me!" He got to his feet, hurrying to Hookfang's neck to hop on. "Quick Hooky, take me back!"

The dragon gave a roar and listened, taking off into the air, flying back to Berk a little faster this time, making sure Snotlout was able to hang on and not fall off.

He flew straight to the forest, landing on his feet, watching as Snotlout started jogging off, letting out a soft roar at him, not wanting him to go.

Snotlout looked back, frowning softly. "Don't worry Hookfang, I'll be back tomorrow. I promise. Stay hidden, okay?"

Hookfang let out a soft warble, seeming to understand, watching Snotlout run off again, who called "See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!"

Hookfang's eyes went narrow, snorting lowly, turning away to fly off in the opposite direction, having his own nest to get back to.

* * *

It was dark by the time Snotlout got home, bursting inside, seeing his father at the table, who stood up as soon as he saw him.

"Where have ye been?!" He growled. "You're late!"

Snotlout started to hurry inside, frowning, hoping his father wouldn't punish him for this. "I-I'm sorry dad, it jus' slipped my mind. I-"

"Ye missed dinner is what slipped yer mind. Yer mother works hard all day to cook for ye and then ye don't even bother to show up? Git upstairs!" Spitelout snapped, slapping his son's rear as he tried to sneak past him to get to his room, Snotlout yelping softly. "An' don't be late again!"

Snotlout swallowed hard and scrambled upstairs, hurrying inside his room, letting out a breath when he closed his door, knowing he was safe there. "Phew…..! Way too close….."

He came over to his bedside, sitting on the edge of his bed, picking up his stuffed yak-doll his mother made for him, holding it close with a soft sigh. Holding his toy he was suddenly reminded of Hookfang, missing him, realizing the feeling of loneliness was starting to creep up his chest. Spending the day with Hookfang made him realize he had made a new friend. A best friend even.

He never thought he'd ever have a best friend, certainly not a dragon.

And he never thought he'd ever actually…..miss having a best friend as a dragon.

* * *

At dragon training the following day, Snotlout found himself dodging and leaping away from the snapping jaws of the Hideous Zippleback currently chasing him and Hiccup.

The walls of the maze had been set up in the arena so him and the other teens were forced to dash and zip around corners to avoid crashing into them and dodge any walls that got knocked over during the chase.

The Zippleback gave a roar as it dodged around a tight corner, trying to nip at Snotlout, who nearly tripped, yelping.

"Quit runnin' you two!" Gobber shouted. "Fight back!"

Snotlout glanced back, scowling, looking over at Hiccup who scrambled desperately on his feet, leaping away around a different corner. "Really?!" Snotlout growled at him, the Zippleback still coming after him.

One head snapped at him, the other head attempting to go around the corner after Hiccup, obviously failing, turning his attention back to Snotlout, who was losing his patience, growling. "Alright, that's it sparky!"

He whipped around, stopping on his feet, sticking out his hand, eyes narrowed at the dragon before him, who skidded to a stop, roaring curiously at him.

Snotlout growled, sticking out his hand, scratching the left head's chin, reaching out his opposite hand to do the same to the other, scratching both of their chins hurriedly, his fingernails bumping against their rough scales.

The Zippleback's eyes widened, roaring out softly, relaxing, letting out a purr-like noise, both of their heads dropping to the ground below him as the dragon collapsed with happiness, lying limply, both heads smiling.

Snotlout was amazed that it had actually worked, grinning at his hands, looking at the fallen dragon before him.

"Well done Snotlout!" He heard Gobber shout in approval, making Snotlout perk up, spotting the rest of the teens peeking their heads around the corner, looking awed, making Snotlout grin boastfully, puffing out his chest.

If only his dad could see him now! He just took down an entire dragon!

But he just didn't want his dad to know the real reason behind his success, knowing his dad would practically murder him for befriending a dragon.

But Spitelout wasn't going to find out, nobody else would. Snotlout was going to make sure Hookfang stayed safe because he didn't want anyone to hurt his new friend. And no one was going to.

* * *

"Hey Hooky," Snotlout greeted when he finally found his friend in the woods, relieved with a smile. Hookfang warbled at him and sniffed him as a greeting, snorting happily at the familiar scent, grinning, having missed spending time with his human companion.

Snotlout put a hand to the dragon's snout, petting him smoothly, glad to see him again. "Missed me huh? Yeah, I missed you too ya stupid dragon…." He smirked at Hookfang, who gave him a mean look, puffing out a billow of smoke at him, not liking to be insulted.

Snotlout held back a laugh, amused. "Well Hooky, what should we do today?"

Going to the woods to visit Hookfang became a daily routine for Snotlout, who went and hung out with his friend directly after Dragon Training, coming home just before dark to his parents, who were starting to notice Snotlout's numerous disappearances.

It was mainly his mother, who worried for her son, asking where he was going every afternoon. "I haven't seen you around the village in the afternoons, Snotty…where ya been runnin' off to?"

Snotlout looked up from his drink, glancing a little nervously at his father who eyed him. "Oh. I've been training, Mom. In the woods. Battle tactics." He grinned, hoping they'd buy the lie, which they pretty much did.

Hookfang and Snotlout not only grew closer but Snotlout was doing exceptionally well in dragon training now, thanks to all the tips he had picked up from spending time with Hookfang.

When his father heard the good news, he was immediately pleased but Astrid completely disapproved of the teen's sudden success, starting to train harder and harder, trying to be the best warrior possible, not able to understand how some clumsy dolt like Snotlout could possibly be at the top of the class.

How he managed to take down a dragon in a matter of seconds was beyond her, she was baffled, unable to believe it. The only explanation she believed was that Snotlout was cheating and she was about ready to confront him, irritated, and though she would never ever admit it, a tad bit jealous.

But Snotlout was of course pleased with himself and his success and he loved spending time with Hookfang, he couldn't be more impressed. He still hadn't told anybody about his discovery of the dragons and certainly not about Hookfang, enjoying the time away from the village and his home, loving how there were less opportunities for his father to beat him and that there were more chances for him to boast to the others about how well he was doing in the ring, taking any chance he could get to brag.

Hookfang enjoyed the time spent with his human companion as well, always waiting in the same spot for him to arrive, lighting up in flame happily when he saw him approaching, usually chewing on the teen's helmet contently, liking to provoke his rider with mischievous pranks and tricks, the teen always mumbling his name angrily under his breath, making him laugh.

Hookfang had never been friends with a human before, but admittedly, he liked it, enjoying the boy's company, especially loving when he got scratched and rubbed and petted. The two flew together every day as well and Snotlout was slowly getting better and better about being able to stay on and not destroy Hookfang's eardrums with his piercing screams.

Ultimately the two enjoyed each other's company, glad to have a friend to hang out with.

Snotlout was just happy he found an excuse to get away from his father. That is until the night of the dragon raid…

* * *

 _Boom!_

Snotlout yelped, nearly falling out of his bed to the floor, the house shaking and creaking uneasily, making him gulp with fear, trying to figure out what was going on.

He could make out loud sounds and yells coming from outside, another boom sending him to the floor this time. He yelped and could see flames outside his window, finally figuring out that another dragon raid was happening.

He could hear his father's booming voice from the other room and he started scrambling to his feet, hurrying out, clutching his yak-doll close, watching as Spitelout burst out from his parent's room, his mother not far behind.

"Come on son, git out of the house, the dragons are at it again!" His father growled, racing downstairs and grabbing his axe, June urging Snotlout to follow them as well in case the house caught aflame.

Snotlout hurried after his mother naturally; this had been a routine for him his entire life, he had ran out of his house during raids more times than he could count.

His mother raced out after grabbing her weapons, Snotlout coming out after her, gasping when he saw all the dragons in the air, buildings and huts already aflame and burning to the ground, people everywhere screaming and yelling.

Watching the dragons dive and soar past, Snotlout's eyes widened as realization struck him, gasping. "Oh no…..Hookfang!"

He immediately turned to take off for the forest, heart suddenly racing, knowing he had to find his dragon, wanting to make sure he was alright, unsure if he would be participating in the raid or not.

He jogged hurriedly, ducking underneath branches and pushing aside brush, trying his best not to trip, struggling to see through the dark, though it was near dawn so it wasn't completely black out.

Snotlout panted as he ran, looking around with wide eyes, able to hear faint explosions and distant yelling behind him.

"H-Hookfang! Hookfang? Hooky, you here? Where are you?!" He shouted, stumbling over a log, frowning as he kept running, wanting to see the familiar snout of his reptile friend.

He was getting deeper into the forest now, coming close to the usual spot where he and Hookfang met each other every afternoon, looking around everywhere. "Hookfang!"

"Rrrrroooooaaaarrrr!"

Snotlout whipped his head around, perking up. "Hookfang?"

Glowing yellow eyes peered at Snotlout through the bushes and he could hear the dragon moving, his snout slowly coming into view but Snotlout quickly realized this dragon was not at all Hookfang.

Instead it was a wild Razorwhip who did not look at all pleased, growling lowly, sounding angry.

Snotlout gasped and started to step back, reaching a shaking hand out to show the dragon he meant no harm, going to pet him, the dragon recoiling back on his hind legs with a hiss, roaring furiously, raising his claws to attack.

Snotlout screamed, nearly falling back, suddenly frozen. "N-No, no don't!"

The Razorwhip roared and lashed his claws out, slicing at Snotlout's chest, drawing blood deeply, knocking the Viking teen down, who cried out in pain, startled.

"Aaaaahhh!" His hand flew to his chest, claw marks sliced into his skin, bleeding heavily already, coating his palm in blood that ran down his fingers, making him gasp.

The dragon roared again and Snotlout gasped with fear, not having any time to react before the dragon wrapped its tail around him and picked him up, throwing him against a tree, his back slamming up against the bark painfully.

He yelped with pain as he landed, gasping to breathe, wheezing, shaking, the dragon's snorting and angry growls filling his ears, lifting his head in a daze, trying to get his vision to focus, seeing stars.

He felt himself getting picked up again and Snotlout screamed, squirming and kicking helplessly, trying his best not to cry, hurting and in pain. "H-Help! Help me!"

The Razorwhip growled and roared at the screaming, about to throw Snotlout again, an axe striking him in the leg making him drop him instead.

Snotlout landed on his rear with an 'oof', startled, not knowing what had happened, rubbing at his head, seeing the dragon whip around, suddenly hearing voices.

"Ye leave me son alone ya big ugly carnivore!"

Snotlout knew that voice anywhere. "Dad? Dad!"

"Come on! Pick on someone your own size!" Stoick was shouting. The Chief? The Chief was here too, Snotlout mused to himself, baffled, having no clue how they had gotten there.

The two were now fighting off the dragon, Stoick using his axe, Spitelout using his bare hands, having already tossed his axe, both screaming and shouting at the angry Razorwhip before them, fighting it off until it finally gave a roar of defeat and flew away, though injured from the men's attacks.

Snotlout shakeningly got to his feet, blinking away tears as he was still trying to regain his composure, swaying on his feet a little, still dazed. His chest stung and he could feel his shirt getting soaked with blood.

Stoick was suddenly standing there in front of him, looking sort of sympathetic, bent down to his level. "Snotlout, you alright son? Are ya hurt?"

Before Snotlout could answer, his father was suddenly beside him and Snotlout felt him punch his arm hard, making the boy yelp and cower, rubbing his arm painfully, whimpering. "I-I-I am now….."

Spitelout glared down at him, looking furious. "What do ye think ye were doin' out here, boy-o? Providin' a snack for the wild beasts eh, were ya?! Ye nearly got yerself killed! How many times do I have to tell ye not to run off like that?" He snapped, snatching a fistful of Snotlout's ripped shirt, starting to drag him off. "Let's git home, right now!"

Snotlout stumbled on his feet, whimpering as his father pulled and tugged on him. "B-B-But Dad, I-I was jus'-"

"Shut up!" Spitelout snapped, punching Snotlout's arm again. "I'm sick of listenin' to yer bloody excuses!"

Snotlout whimpered, frowning deeply, still shaken up and bleeding, stumbling over his feet as his father dragged him back towards the village.

"Uhh Spitelout….." Stoick stated in a low tone, trying to remind his comrade not to be so harsh with his son.

"Don't worry Stoick," Spitelout huffed. "Jus' gonna take 'em home an' git 'em cleaned up, that's all, the bloody, clumsy devil…." He growled under his breath, making Snotlout frown deeply, wishing his father would quit pulling on him already.

He then heard a low noise, sounding like a growl, coming from the bushes. He looked over, spotting Hookfang peeking out nearby, eyes widened and narrowed distrustfully, looking at Snotlout worriedly, bobbing his head around, wanting to come over to help him, seeing he was in distress.

Snotlout frowned and quickly shook his head no at him with big eyes, making sure Stoick and his father didn't see. "No Hooky….." He hissed under his breath, trying to wordlessly tell his dragon he was okay.

Hookfang frowned, not seeming to buy it, watching Snotlout continue to get dragged off, warbling almost painfully, shrinking back reluctantly, wanting to help his rider desperately, disappearing nonetheless, much to Snotlout's relief.

He suddenly tripped as his father dragged him off, stumbling, frowning deeply at the back of his father's head with big eyes, wishing he'd just let go of him already, his chest still hurting and bleeding badly.

But his father hadn't spotted Hookfang and that was more important right now, knowing his friend was still safe and still a secret.

* * *

Snotlout wandered back into the woods the next day after training, smiling faintly at Hookfang, who quickly began to sniff him, warbling out loudly, sounding relieved.

Hookfang went rigid when he sniffed his friend, able to smell traces of blood and exhaustion, sensing pain emitting from the Viking, roaring softly at Snotlout with concern, eyes big.

Snotlout frowned softly at him, indeed tired and still sore, grabbing Hookfang's snout gently with his hands. "It's alright, Hooky, I'm okay."

Hookfang's eyes went narrowed with a look of disbelief, sniffing at Snotlout's eye, warbling out, his tail swishing back and forth with anxiousness.

Snotlout put a hand to his eye where his father had punched him. "It's okay, Hookfang. I'm fine." He forced a small smile, leaning against Hookfang's snout to nuzzle him, rubbing his scales gently.

Hookfang let out a small growl but then relaxed, letting Snotlout lean against him, able to sense how tired the boy was, having seen how slow he had been moving on his feet.

Snotlout smiled at him softly, enjoying his dragon's comfort, glad he had him to go to when he needed him.

Hookfang warbled and gently picked up Snotlout by the back of his tunic, lying him up against his belly, placing his snout in the boy's lap respectively, getting comfortable for a nap, purring softly when Snotlout started petting him. "Thanks Hookfang."

Hookfang remained still, comforted by the petting, listening closely until he heard his rider's snores, relaxing, telling himself it was okay to go to sleep now, snout still curled up affectionately in Snotlout's lap.

He then made a promise that he wasn't going to let anybody else hurt his rider again, not if he could help it. He was going to protect Snotlout, from anybody who tried to hurt him again, especially from those bad men that dragged his precious rider off last night and did this to him.

He wasn't going to let them hurt his rider ever again.

 **To Be Continued...**

 _ **Thoughts?**_


	11. What Should Have Been Part 2

**What Should Have Been Part 2**

The next day went back to normal, Snotlout going to the forest to visit Hookfang after training, even though he was supposed to be helping with repairs in the village.

After the dragon raid, Spitelout had left to accompany Stoick and the other Vikings on the voyage to find the nest of the dragons so Snotlout was off the hook for now and he was glad, quite relieved to have his father out of the picture for awhile, able to relax and enjoy himself for once, getting to spend some time with his mother also.

Snotlout was still the top-dog in dragon training, though Astrid was trying her absolute best to overpower him, coming in at a close second.

But then the next day, something strange happened. Hiccup somehow managed to coax the Hideous Zippleback into his cage before Snotlout could even get the chance. Everyone stared, baffled, Snotlout blinking in dismay, frowning that somehow had beat him to the job.

He frowned especially because it was Hiccup the Useless no less who had somehow upstaged him.

Hiccup looked at the others with a nervous grin, seeming distracted. "Okay, so we done here?"

Nobody had even answered him before he was already slipping away, seeming all too eager to get out of there, leaving everyone to stare open-mouthed.

This started to become a daily occurrence in the arena, Hiccup taking down each dragon who came near him, way before Snotlout could, infuriating him, starting to think Hiccup had just copied him and his techniques, furious that Hiccup would cheat like that.

It was starting to become a competition in the ring and though Snotlout tried his best to be gentle and friendly with the dragons in the ring, Hiccup was beating him and doing better than him every single time.

Astrid meanwhile was trying to do better than the two boys as well, though she used her weapons and battle tactics, which ultimately wasn't the best when it came to the dragons, though sometimes it worked. But of course she didn't understand the dragons weren't enemies, not knowing any better.

Snotlout was getting frustrated with Hiccup, ready to beat the yak-dung out of him for doing a better job than him, about ready to confront the little pip-squeak. He had been complaining about the chief's son to Hookfang for days now, not understanding how the little Viking could just copy him and get away with it.

Hookfang just rolled his eyes at him and snorted out of boredom, but Snotlout didn't care. He just wanted to be at the top.

One day, Snotlout saw his chance to get his revenge, spotting Hiccup making his way through the forest on his way to visit Hookfang.

Snotlout smirked and started to follow after him, making sure he wasn't seen, keeping his distance, following Hiccup into the cove as the boy slid down the hill, Snotlout not far behind.

He poked his head up, grinning down below at him. "Hey Hiccup!"

He snickered when he saw Hiccup jump and stumble over his feet a little with a yelp. "Sn-Sn-Snotlout!"

"Where do you think you're going?!" Snotlout huffed, starting to slide down after him, a tough expression of amusement upon his face.

Hiccup began to stutter, looking a little nervous and startled, glancing back over his shoulder once. "Uh, uh, uh, I was jus'-"

"Don't bother!" Snotlout snapped, poking a finger at his chest. "I got a bone to pick with you, Haddock! You think you can just copy all my awesome moves in the ring and upstage me? You got another thing comin'!" Snotlout gave him a rough shove, almost knocking the scrawny boy over.

"Uh, uh, I-I don't-I dunno what you're talking about, Snotlout," Hiccup stumbled, stuttering over his words, eyes wide, looking over his shoulder again.

Snotlout snorted with a smirk, shoving Hiccup again. "Ha! You liar! Of course you know, you little copycat cheater! I'm calling you out!" He punched his palm happily with a fist, enjoying himself, holding back laughter at Hiccup's frightened expression, watching the boy stumble over himself.

"Snotlout, uh, I uh-"

Snotlout, irritated with Hiccup's nonsense stuttering, punched the teen's arm, sending him to the ground, smirking down at him happily. "Ha! You better start-"

Suddenly there was a low rumbling sound and what sounded like growling from nearby, making Snotlout look up, a dark form suddenly flashing before him, finding himself suddenly thrown onto his backside, looking up into bright green eyes with the pupils narrowed into slits, purely terrifying growls coming from the dragon pinning him down.

Snotlout gasped and began to scream, kicking, terrified as the dragon's wings were spread, raising his head to fire. "Aaaaahh aaaaahhhh aaaaah! Help!"

Hiccup was shouting something but Snotlout barely heard him, squirming and kicking in an attempt to get away, continuing to cry out, screaming at the top of his lungs, terrified that a Night Fury was about to kill him.

Suddenly another roar sounded, extremely loud and deafening, sounding murderous and the Night Fury was no longer ontop of him, startling Snotlout, who looked up in shock.

He saw Hookfang knocking the other dragon away, roaring ferociously, bobbing his head and snapping his teeth, standing in front of Snotlout protectively with outstretched wings, blocking the Night Fury's attacks as the dragon tried to lunge forward.

Wide-eyed and frightened, Snotlout got to his feet, scrambling over, raising his hands into the air as he ran in front of Hookfang. "Hookfang, Hookfang stop! It's alright, it's okay!

"Toothless stop!" Hiccup was shouting something but Snotlout had completely forgotten he was even there, only focusing on trying to get Hookfang calmed down, his dragon seeming beyond raging mad, snarling and snorting, pacing anxiously, glaring daggers at the Night Fury, holding back his flames.

"Easy Hooky, I'm alright, I'm okay!"

"Hooky?!" Hiccup seemed to shout, making Snotlout whip his head around, seeing Hiccup standing before his dragon as well, seeming to do the same thing as him, though he really seemed to be paying more attention to Snotlout, looking shocked.

Snotlout's eyes went narrow, scowling. "Hookfang, actually!"

"You mean you have a dragon too?!"

"Of course I have a-wait, you have a dragon?" Snotlout then took a good look, eyes widening when he realized the Night Fury that had just attacked him was indeed at Hiccup's side, appearing quite obedient and docile, though he was growling at Hookfang a little. Snotlout did a double take, not understanding, jaw dropping open.

"Uh, this-this is Toothless." Hiccup stuttered a little, seeming just as shocked as Snotlout was, eyeing Hookfang. "I trained him. How-How did you….?"

"I trained mine too!" Snotlout huffed, pointing at himself. "Hookfang's my dragon!"

"Wh-When? H-How? I-I didn't even know you-" Hiccup was shaking his head as he stuttered, seeming half-shocked and half-impressed all at once.

"Why do you need to know when I trained him, what's it to you? When did you train yours?!" Snotlout almost snapped.

"Uh, I uh….it-it doesn't matter. I-I had no idea that you had trained a dragon Snotlout," Hiccup was starting to grin. "This means you and I, we, we're the first ones to discover the truth about dragons, finally, someone else knows! Do you know what this means Snotlout?"

"Uhhhhhh," Snotlout drawled, frowning. "We're like fugitives?"

"Ye-what, no." Hiccup shook his head, wrinkling his nose, coming over to Snotlout, grabbing his arm. "It means, Snotlout, that we both have trained a dragon and now we both have something in common and I can actually talk about this to someone without having to keep it a secret! Oh this is great!"

Despite Hiccup's excitement, Snotlout frowned, eyes drifting over to Toothless, eyeing him, slowly coming over, the dragon seeming calm at the moment. "So you're saying you actually trained a Night Fury?" He stopped beside the dragon, raising a brow at all the equipment and prosthetic tail-fin strapped onto him. "Wait, what's all this?" He frowned.

"I uh, shot him down and found him in the woods," Hiccup sounded guilty, swaying on his toes. "Had to make him a new tail-fin for him to be able to fly."

Snotlout had made his way back over to Hookfang, who sniffed him closely, double-checking to make sure his rider was for sure okay.

"How did you meet yours?" Hiccup questioned, nodding to the pair.

Snotlout started to grin, scratching at Hookfang's chest softly. "I found him in the woods and then I started trainin' him."

Hookfang gave a little snort, outstretching his neck, seeming to sniff Hiccup cautiously, growling lowly. "Whoa hey Hooky, it's okay. This is Hiccup."

Hookfang sniffed and Hiccup smiled, reaching out a hand to scratch under the dragon's chin softly. "Hey Hookfang…..how you doing, buddy?"

Hookfang began to purr and smiled happily at the scratching, falling over onto his side, warbling loudly, quite pleased.

"Whoa," Snotlout blinked, watching. "He's never done that before….."

Hiccup glanced at him with a shrug, smiling. "He seems great, Snotlout. And he came to protect you. That says a lot."

"Well of course he came to protect me," Snotlout huffed, pointing to his chest. "I'm the best guy he's ever met." He saw Toothless was coming up to him and he flinched away a little, slightly fearful at the dragon who sniffed him.

Hiccup started coming over. "It's alright, he won't hurt you. He's just getting to know you, aren't you bud?"

Toothless sniffed Snotlout closely, warbling lowly with a smile, seeming to accept him, which Snotlout took for a good sign. "Wow. So the deadliest dragon of all isn't so deadly after all either, huh?" Snotlout petted Toothless's nose softly, grinning.

"Nope." Hiccup teetered on his feet. "Everything we've been told about dragons is wrong. I-I haven't met one dragon whose tried to kill me yet."

"What about in the ring?" Snotlout whipped around to shoot him a look, huffing.

Hiccup's eyebrows raised, shrugging his shoulders around. "That-that was different."

"So I guess this all explains how you've been doing so well in the ring huh? Jus' like me." Snotlout looked at the ground, lips pursed together.

Hiccup slowly nodded. "Yeah. Isn't it weird? Us being the only ones knowing? Jus' think what it would be like if everyone knew? We wouldn't have to kill dragons anymo-"

"Well why don't we just tell them then?" Snotlout wrinkled his nose, shrugging. "I've been keeping this a secret for a lon-"

"And it needs to stay a secret," Hiccup frowned at him, shaking his head no, putting a gentle hand on Toothless's snout. "Don't you understand Snotlout? They'd never believe us. No no, if we told them, they'd kill our dragons, they'd come after them, we can't do that to them."

"Well there's gotta be some way to change their minds…." Snotlout scowled softly, trying to think.

"Believe me, I've tried to come up with a way to make that possible but, I-I jus' dunno if it's possible Snotlout….not-not with my dad as chief."

"So we still gotta keep it a secret them…?" Snotlout mused slowly, eyes downcast.

Hiccup nodded, looking just as awkward and crest-fallen.

"Well, as long as Hookfang stays safe," Snotlout pet his dragon affectionately, who purred at him. "That's all I care about."

"Agreed." Hiccup nuzzled Toothless softly, smiling gently. "I'll try and come up with a way. Eventually."

Snotlout gave a little nod, glancing at Toothless again. "So. Can you two fly?"

Hiccup blinked. "Uh, uh, y-yeah, yeah. Can you two?"

Snotlout almost laughed. "Of course I can!" Hookfang snorted and blew a puff of smoke into his face, knocking his helmet off his head, laughing. "Hookfang…..!" Snotlout growled at him.

"Well, since we now both have trained dragons, whatta ya say we go on a flight together?" Hiccup shrugged, already starting to climb onto Toothless's back.

Snotlout snorted a little, smirking as he picked up his helmet. "Of course….if it means getting to show how much better I am at flying than you!" Hookfang snorted at him as he started to get on his neck. "We, how much better We are at flying," Snotlout rolled his eyes, glaring at Hookfang, hating his attitude.

Hiccup raised a brow at his friend as he watched him got on. "You don't have a saddle. Hey, I could make one for you." He offered with a grin.

"A saddle?" Snotlout blinked, not having even thought about that. "Uh sure, I guess if you're the one sorry enough to make it for me." He huffed, smirking.

Hiccup just shrugged, shaking his head. "Sure Snotlout. Come on, Toothless, let's go." He smiled at his dragon, who started to outstretch his wings with a happy purr.

Snotlout grinned at Hookfang, who did the same. "Okay Hooky! Now show these losers who's boss!"

Hookfang grinned and took off into the air at full-speed, Snotlout nearly falling off, Hookfang laughing at him mischievously. "Hookfang!" Snotlout screeched, struggling to hold on.

Hiccup couldn't help but laugh and shake his head, brow raised at his friend, Toothless taking off after the Nightmare into the sky, the dragons starting to fly beside each other through the clouds once Hookfang had slowed down.

Hiccup grinned as he looked over at the pair, amused and still dismayed at the fact that Snotlout had managed to train a dragon just like him, impressed yet just a tad concerned for him as it didn't quite seem like his dragon listened to him very well.

But nevertheless, this opened a new opportunity for him, for Snotlout too, because now they had a reason to share their secret between each other, but yet still keep it secret from everybody else.

* * *

"How is your dragon so calm?!" Snotlout shouted, looking over as he gripped Hookfang's horns as tight as he could, struggling to hang on as the dragon bobbed his neck around, Hookfang trying to show off for his new friend Toothless, laughing.

Hiccup was watching them, chuckling softly. "Well, maybe because he listens to me. Which yours doesn't appear to be doing."

"Hookfang listens to me!" Snotlout snapped in defense, shrieking out when Hookfang suddenly starting diving straight down, having spotted a sheep. "Hookfang!"

Hiccup watched as Snotlout struggled with Hookfang who came back to Toothless's side, warbling softly. "It seems you two have quite the relationship, Snotlout." He mused softly, smirking.

Snotlout looked over, scowling softly. "Yeah? Well I still can't believe you somehow managed to train a Night Fury!"

"Fair point. But still, I never thought I'd see you flying on top of a dragon."

Snotlout just huffed, trying to look boastful. "Well I am, so deal with it. Hookfang and I are like buddies. Now how do you get yours to listen to you so well?"

Hiccup was smirking, holding back his chuckles, glancing down at Toothless, who purred. "Well, he just knows how to listen, I guess. Besides that he is very well trained." Now Hiccup was taking his own chance to boast.

Snotlout snorted at him. "Whatever. I don't need Hookfang to listen to me anyways. He's his own man, Hiccup!"

Hookfang roared happily, lighting himself aflame with pride, smirking at Toothless, ignoring Snotlout who shrieked. "Hookfang!"

Hiccup and Toothless just laughed at them.

Now the daily routine for Snotlout became: go to Dragon Training, compete with Hiccup and Astrid to take down the dragon first, which Hiccup was somehow still doing a better job at than him, then slip away into the forest with Hiccup to meet up with their dragons, going out for afternoon flights.

Hiccup was doing his best to teach Snotlout and Hookfang how to get closer to one another, but Hookfang seemed to always have a mind of his own and didn't care too much for listening so eventually they left it be. Snotlout didn't seem to mind too much anyways, though he did find it annoying.

Hiccup had also made Snotlout his own saddle, which helped the teen immensely to be able to hang on when Hookfang decided to "do his own thing" while airborne.

Overall, things were going great and Hiccup and Snotlout were even starting to become….. _friends_.

They had always been friends since they were little but thanks to the influence from his father, Snotlout had became a bully to Hiccup over the years, doing his best to show he was more dominant, that he should be the one to become chief, pushing Hiccup around aggressively, boating and picking fights.

But now, thanks to the dragons, it was like they were little child-hood playmates again, slowly starting to become close. And Snotlout realized Hiccup wasn't actually that bad. Besides the fact he had trained a Night Fury, the most dangerous dragon of all.

"So just to be clear, you didn't tell anyone about them, right?" Hiccup asked him lowly one day.

"Of course I didn't!" Snotlout snorted with a sneer. "Why would I do that?"

"Well, I didn't think you did I just wanted to make sure our secret is still a secret…." Hiccup shrugged, petting Toothless distractedly.

"Well it is. So you can back off." Snotlout huffed, looking smug.

Hiccup licked his lips, looking away. "I wonder how long it'll stay a secret." He mused lowly. "They might figure it out soon. We can't keep cheating like this forever."

"Yeah, and you need to stop being so popular in the ring!" Snotlout scowled at him, jealous of Hiccup's new popularity and success in the arena. "I'm supposed to be at the top of the class!"

Hiccup didn't look sorry, shrugging. "It's not like I'm trying to do so well. Everyone thinks I'm actually good at defending off dragons."

"And what about the Monstrous Nightmare? One of us is going to be chosen soon…..I-I don't wanna kill a dragon in front of everyone, not with the whole village watching, not with my dad watching! I can't do that!" Snotlout frowned, wide-eyed.

"You won't have to." Hiccup frowned softly at him. "I-I'll make sure I'm the one to face it off."

Snotlout snorted at him, thinking Hiccup just wanted to be the best. "Hmmph. Showoff." He was glad though he wouldn't have to kill a dragon with his father watching though, not wanting to be completely humiliated in front of the entire village.

At least if Hiccup failed to show everyone the truth, he'd be the one to get punished for it, not him.

"So you're really gonna try and prove everyone wrong, huh?" Snotlout said lowly, looking at the ground.

Hiccup sighed, turning to face him. "Yeah. I just want the fighting to stop. These dragons don't deserve to die if they're innocent. And if I have the chance to make peace between them, then I have to try."

Snotlout nodded slowly, ignoring Hookfang who was sniffing him. "Hmmm. Noble." He commented, looking away.

Hiccup didn't really answer, pursing his lips together, still trying to think if it was even really possible to convince the entire village that dragons weren't enemies but in face gentle creatures that didn't mean no harm but instead wanted to be friends.

He wasn't sure if he could do it.

* * *

A couple days later, the Chief and other Vikings returned from their Voyage, boarding the docks, villagers coming to greet their leader as he stepped off, Spitelout in tow, who sighed as he came off, exhausted and tired.

As others were hurrying over to Stoick to congratulate him on Hiccup's success, Spitelout didn't notice, heading off to hear how his son was doing, assuming he was still at the top of his class, wanting to congratulate and boast about him.

He greeted a few villagers along the way with waves and friendly nods, glad to be back on the island, sick of that awful ship, running a tired hand over his beard as he went home, greeting his wife with a smile.

"Aye June, I'm back." He outstretched his arms for a hug, his wife coming to him happily, looking relieved, sharing a kiss with him as they embraced. "Spitelout! I've missed ya….."

"I missed you too, lassie." Spitelout smiled, lying his head atop of hers, enjoying her warmth and the aroma of yak pies from her cooking.

"Did ya find anythin'?" June smiled up at him, gazing into his green eyes happily.

"No," Spitelout sighed, running a hand over his beard again, pulling away a little. "The bleepin' blowtorches…didn't even come close to it."

June frowned softly, running a smooth hand over his chest as comfort. "I'm sorry, dear. At least yer home."

Spitelout nodded, glancing around. "Where's the boy at? Outta say hello to 'em, congratulate him."

"Oh. He's not here I'm afraid." June said softly, shrugging. "Er, congratulate him for what now?" She frowned.

"For his success. In the ring." Spitelout stated, looking at her. "He still is at the top of his class, _right_?"

June pursed her lips together, slowly shaking her head no. "Sorry dear. I'm afraid the young Hiccup has taken the top position now. Everyone's been talking about it; he's been great!"

Spitelout blinked with disbelief, nose wrinkled. "Hiccup? Stoick's boy? Uhhhh….." He looked at her for an explanation, eyebrows furrowing when she smiled.

"Surprised us all too. I dunno how he did it but...wait until the Chief hears."

"Wait, so you're saying…our son is no longer at the top of his class?" Spitelout frowned, voice starting to lower.

June didn't answer, shrugging a little, lips pursed together, looking slightly sympathetic.

Spitelout scowled and threw his hands up in disbelief, muttering under his breath, looking away crossly, then back to her. "Where is he?"

June went back to her cooking, blinking softly. "Well, prolly in the woods most likely. It seems that's where he likes to run off to lately."

Spitelout turned away, shaking his head, stomping to the door, grabbing an axe on his way out.

June immediately frowned at him. "Wh-Where are you going?"

"To the woods. Find out why me son isn't at the top of his class no more." He stated, closing the door before she could answer, glaring as he started stomping off for the forest, ready to confront his son for an explanation.

* * *

"Hookfang!" Snotlout shouted at his dragon, dodging his fire blasts with a yelp, stumbling over his feet, glaring at Hiccup who laughed.

"Rrrrr, how come Toothless never does this to you?!" He growled, rubbing at his head, shooting daggers at Hookfang as he laughed at him.

Toothless purred from nearby, looking curious. "Beats me." Hiccup shrugged, holding back laughter. "It seems as though Hookfang just enjoys pestering you."

Snotlout growled lowly under his breath as Hookfang snatched his helmet away to chew on it. "Lucky me. Can't believe the most dangerous dragon of all is actually the calmest." He huffed, gesturing to Toothless, who licked his paw to clean his face, purring softly.

"On the plus side, he does seem to be listening to you a little better now." Hiccup offered, trying to help, grinning.

Snotlout made grabby hands for his helmet, trying to pull it out of Hookfang's jaws, the dragon growling at him, not letting go, starting to play tug-of-war with him. "Give it Hookfang! Of course he is Hiccup, I'm his master, he knows I'm the boss!"

Hookfang snarled and yanked back, ripping the helmet out of Snotlout's hands, laughing with pride when Snotlout toppled over, chewing and drooling on the Viking's helmet happily.

Snotlout scowled, wiping off the dirt from his face, pushing himself to his feet. "Hookfaaannngg! I told you not to-"

"Shhh, wait, do you hear something?" Hiccup interrupted him, looking alarmed, turning to look around them.

Hookfang's purrs stopped and Snotlout went quiet as he stood, eyebrows furrowed as he listened, indeed hearing a sound coming from nearby.

In fact it sounded like voices. Actually it sounded more like yelling.

And Snotlout recognized that yelling anywhere.

His eyes widened, his body flooding with tension, gasping. "It's my dad! Quick, get the dragons outta here! Go Hookfang, go!"

Hiccup gasped and hurried over to Toothless who warbled lowly with wide eyes, letting Hiccup get saddled, glancing fearfully at Hookfang. "Let's go Toothless!"

Snotlout waved his arms at Hookfang in distress, his father's voice seeming to get louder. "Hookfang, go! NOW!"

Hookfang roared and shook his head, seeming agitated, bobbing his head around and pacing anxiously, eyes narrowed in anger, not moving.

"Hookfang, go!" Snotlout pleaded desperately, wishing for once his dragon would just listen to him!

Toothless warbled at Hookfang urgently as he and Hiccup started flying off and Hookfang finally got the message, snorting at Snotlout before he too turned to fly off, hurrying to get away.

He didn't actually leave though, he just retreated to some nearby bushes to stay close and keep watch, sensing the evil man from before approaching, Snotlout not having any time to notice, his father starting to come into view, startling him.

"Snotlout!" His father gave a yell as he came up, wiping at his brow with an arm, gripping his axe tightly.

Snotlout turned around with a nervous grin, on edge, looking at his father with wide eyes. "D-Dad? You're-you're back! I-It's so good to see you again….. Wh-What are you doin' out here?"

"Oh, I jus' heard a little somethin' in the village on my way over. A little _rumor_." Spitelout said each word sharply, towering over his son who cowered a little. "A little rumor about _you_."

Snotlout began to stutter, swallowing nervously. "Uh, uh, you did huh?"

"Uh huh and I'd like know-" Spitelout's voice was getting louder and louder with each word now. "Why my son isn't at the top of his class anymore!" He shouted, Snotlout flinching.

"Oh, you, you heard about that huh?" He almost peeped, grinning sheepishly.

"Of course I heard about it!" Spitelout snapped, losing his temper. "Ye got a lot of nerve doin' this to me, boy," He growled, punching his son's arm. "Ye know how embarrassed I am? How could ye humiliate the Jorgenson name like this?"

Snotlout rubbed his arm, wincing, frowning up at his dad with big eyes. "D-Dad, there-there is a perfectly good explanation for this, honest. I-"

"Shut up!" Spitelout growled, punching him again. "How is it ye have an excuse for everytime ye screw somethin' up, boy? Tired of it! Why don't ye jus'-"

"Dad, listen if you would jus stop and-"

"No!" Spitelout roared, smacking his son hard across the face, knocking him down. " **Ye** need to stop Snotlout! I-"

Suddenly there was a loud growling sound and Spitelout looked up in alarm, eyes narrowing. "What the-?"

Suddenly Hookfang was coming straight for him out of the bushes, snarling and roaring with anger, charging furiously, entire body aflame.

Snotlout gasped from the ground when he saw him, horrified, but he didn't have any time to react before his father cried out.

"A dragon! Quick Snotlout, git back!"

Hookfang bolted over instantly, able to move quite rapidly, smacking Spitelout away with his tail, roaring out as he kept his wings outspread, jumping in front of Snotlout to protect him.

Snotlout gaped and started to scramble to his feet, frightened, wide-eyed as he searched to find his father, struggling to see over Hookfang's massive form.

Spitelout growled at the snarling dragon, raising his axe when he got to his feet, eyes narrowed in fury, beginning to attack. "Rrrrr, get back ye scaly lizard!"

He swung at Hookfang, who snarled, snapping his teeth at Spitelout, dousing his flames, firing at the man when he swung his axe again, Spitelout jumping out of the way just in time.

He snarled and threw a fist, hitting the beast's snout, Hookfang snarling with fury, pinning the Viking down with his massive talons, growling straight into his face, eyes narrowed into slits.

Snotlout gasped as he watched, fearing Hookfang would kill his father, pulling on the dragon's tail in an attempt to get him to stop, knowing he couldn't verbally communicate with Hookfang or his father would find out about them. "No Hookfang, No!" He hissed under his breath, desperate.

Hookfang's eyes widened at the pulling and he turned to look back, letting Spitelout go, looking at Snotlout, coming closer to him, not understanding the teen's fear.

"Snotlout!" Spitelout shouted when he saw the dragon near his son, fearing the worst, raising his axe to attack, letting out a furious war-cry.

Hookfang snarled and glared back, smacking Spitelout away with his tail, Spitelout's back painfully impacting with a tree, falling to the ground in a daze.

"No!" Snotlout was shaking his head no frantically at Hookfang, who eyed him protectively. "Go Hookfang! Get out of here, you need to go! Now!" He hissed, his voice commanding and urgent, waving his arms around, making sure his father wasn't looking. "NOW!"

Hookfang squinted at him and let out a roar, bobbing his head around but he seemed to understand the urgency in Snotlout's voice, frowning, taking off to flee nevertheless, looking back reluctantly, wanting to stay and make sure Snotlout was safe from the evil man who hurt him.

Snotlout was beyond relieved when his dragon finally flew away, feeling all the weight on his shoulders subside, rushing over to his father, who coughed as he got to his feet.

Snotlout helped him stand, frowning deeply with concern that his father was hurt. "Dad! Are you okay?!"

Spitelout shook his head, looking a little shaken up, tightening his grip on the handle of his axe when he was on his feet again.

He didn't answer his son at first, starting to step away, eyes slowly going narrow.

"Dad? Are you alright?" Snotlout asked again, looking at him worriedly.

Spitelout seemed to come back to reality, his eyes flashing with anger. "Let's git home." He finally said in a dark voice, giving Snotlout a little shove to follow after him, marching off.

Snotlout frowned deeper and swallowed hard but nevertheless followed, glancing over his shoulder one last time to make sure Hookfang wasn't there.

* * *

"Git up to yer room, come on!"

"H-Hey, hey!" Snotlout whimpered as he stumbled, struggling to keep up and stay on his feet.

"Go on, get!" Spitelout roared, dragging Snotlout up the stairs, shoving Snotlout into his room, slamming the door shut loudly, marching up to him where he lay on the ground.

"How many bleepin' times do I havta tell ye?! Do ye ever listen to me?!" He screamed in fury.

Snotlout got to his feet, trying to extend a gentle hand. "D-Dad, I was jus'-"

"Don't even start goin' on about anythin'!" Spitelout snapped, looking furious. "I told ye to quit runnin' off, Snotlout!"

"Well, well, what does it matter I-I didn't go out there lookin' for trouble, dad, I-" Snotlout stuttered, stumbling over his feet as his father backed him up against a wall.

"How many times have I told ye about the dragons?! About the pirates! About the thieves and murderers! They're going to kill you Snotlout! I told ye countless times boy-o!"

"But dad, I-"

Spitelout punched him, beyond angry. "Why in the bleepin' Hell do we do this, son?! Why did ye go and fail me in the ol' ring? I swear to the Gods if you don't get picked to kill that dragon, imma skin you alive!" He fumed, pointing a very threatening finger at his son.

"Dad, why don't you just listen to me? I'm trying to tell you that I-"

Spitelout snarled, grabbing a fistful of Snotlout's tunic, lifting him up and slamming him against the wall, at eye-level with him. "You what?! You did it on purpose you make it yer goal to disappoint your ol' man?!"

"N-No, no!" Snotlout wriggled, whimpering with a deep frown, yelping when Spitelout dropped him.

"Well that's what it sure seems like, boy-o! I hate ye and yer screw-ups! Why do ye have to be so disappointin'? I mean, Hiccup?! Of all people, yer not even better than Hiccup?!"

Snotlout was struggling to get to his feet, holding his sore cheek, whimpering. "Dad, wh-why why are you like this? Why do you do this to me?"

"To protect ye!" Spitelout shouted at the top of his lungs. "I'm not gonna have me son get eaten alive or kidnapped by pirates right in front of me! I told ye to stop wanderin' off, boy! And you are not going back to that forest again!"

Snotlout lifted his head up, eyes suddenly going wide. "Wait what? Why?!"

"To keep you safe! Yer stayin' put, right here! Ye ain't gonna keep wanderin' off like this, I'm makin' sure of it! I'll tie ye down if I have to and I will, Snotlout!"

Snotlout started to shake his head no with big, fearful eyes, frowning deeply. "No you-you can't keep me from leaving! You can't do that, Dad! I'll go out there if I want! I'll-"

He was cut off as Spitelout's hand suddenly latched around his throat, choking him, Snotlout immediately wincing and coughing, unable to breathe, whimpering as all the color drained from his face, beginning to cry as he tried prying at his father's hand, who didn't let go, glaring.

"You'll do as I say!" He spat down at his son with anger and hate. "Ye listen to me, Snotlout! I make the rules and ye follow 'em!" He continued to choke his son's throat tightly, whose face was turning white, whimpering helplessly.

"And ye are going to be the one to kill that dragon, boy! If yer not yer embarrassin' yer entire family! And you'll be a dead man!" He shouted, dropping Snotlout before he could fall unconscious, turning and marching out of his son's room, slamming the door shut behind him as loud as he could, without another word.

Snotlout lay crumpled up on the floor, clutching his neck gingerly as he cried, whimpering with pain and despair, fearing he might not ever be able to see his beloved Hookfang again, knowing his dad was serious about the threats he made, the thought of never seeing his best friend again completely shattering his heart.

* * *

Snotlout swallowed nervously, wringing his hands together as he watched Astrid dive and somersault away from the Gronckle coming after her, able to feel his father's eyes already peering down on him, making him feel queasy.

He gulped, never able to feel comfortable under his father's pressure, wide-eyed and a little shaky, palms sweaty as he remained off to the side, watching as Hiccup started making his way over to intervene.

Today the Chief was watching and Gothi would decide which of the Viking teens would be picked to kill a dragon in front of the whole village and though Snotlout knew Hiccup would win, he was still upset about it.

Not that he wanted to be the one to kill the dragon by any means, but he knew that if he didn't get picked, his father would throw a fit and Snotlout hated when his father threw fits, punches too.

He didn't know what he was going to do then. He just wanted to be able to sneak away to see Hookfang again.

Figuring he should at least look like he was making in effort in the arena, for his father's sake only, Snotlout started making his way over to join the fight with the Gronckle as well, though it was pretty much clear Hiccup and Astrid had it covered, Astrid looking like she was going to murder the dragon herself, appearing furiously determined as she gripped her axe tightly.

With that being said, Snotlout made sure to look like he was at least trying but soon enough, the Gronckle was down and it was Hiccup who had conquered.

Astrid waved her axe around in fury, screaming and shouting with anger, Snotlout watching as Stoick interrupted them, Gothi eventually pointing to Hiccup instead of Astrid, earning cheers from the crowd.

Snotlout joined the others to congratulate Hiccup, slapping a hand down on his back with a smile, ignoring Astrid who just looked beyond murderous.

Hiccup didn't seem too pleased but Snotlout knew why and the best thing he could do was support him. He was still trying to come up with a plan for the arena to try to solve this problem and Snotlout knew he still needed more time to think.

He was going to slip away and go straight to the forest to join Hiccup, but unfortunately his father caught him on the way out.

He immediately frowned at Spitelout's crossed arms and disapproving scowl, who did not looked pleased at all, slowly shaking his head no.

Snotlout's shoulders drooped in almost shame, swallowing hard, not wanting another beating, frowning deeply as he reluctantly went home with him, wishing he could be with Hookfang instead.

He just hoped Hiccup could come up with a plan before tomorrow, not wanting to have to witness the death of a dragon, not while knowing the truth.

* * *

Snotlout was forced to stay in his room the whole rest of the day, which he hated, but his father stayed home just to make sure he stayed put.

He was only allowed to come out of his room for supper and when his father came knocking on his door sometime later, though it was way past dark.

Snotlout looked up at him with big, fearful eyes, not knowing what he wanted, expecting another beating.

Spitelout jerked a thumb back. "Hiccup's here to see ya." Was all he said in a hushed, angry tone.

Snotlout swallowed and slunk past him, going downstairs to the front door, indeed seeing Hiccup, closing the door as he stepped out to talk with him.

Hiccup seemed to frown at him, probably because of the ice chunk he was holding up to his new black eye. "What's up, Hiccup?"

"What happened to you?" Hiccup questioned him, seeming concerned.

"Nevermind that." Snotlout shook his head instantly. "Why are you here?"

"Oh right. It's Astrid, Snotlout. She knows."

Snotlout's eyes widened, raising a brow at him. "She knows? Wait how, why, when? Is Hookfang alright?! She didn't kill him did she?!"

"No, no," Hiccup shook his head no quickly. "It's alright. She found me and Toothless in the woods and…." He almost blushed thinking of the evening he got to spend with her, thinking of the flight they had shared. "I showed her the truth. She understands now, Snotlout."

Snotlout frowned, almost not believing him. "Huh. Astrid. Wow. That's new."

"But, there's something else." Hiccup continued, his expression turning into a frown. "We uh, we may have uh…..found the nest of the dragons." He swallowed.

Snotlout's eyes went wide. "The nest? You found the nest, Hiccup? But that means-"

"But, we also found something else on their island."

"Something else?" Snotlout questioned slowly.

"Yes. There's a massive dragon there, it-it's their Queen, she controls them, she-she's forcing the dragons to live under her command, they have to bring her food or-or she'll kill them! That's why they raid our villages, they're forced to live under her control."

Snotlout frowned at his friend, getting scared of this Queen dragon just from Hiccup's description. "Wait, wait a minute. How big is this…..Queen?"

"Huge, colossal, i-it's nothing you've ever seen before, it-it was living inside the volcano…." Hiccup gestured wildly with his arms, wide-eyed.

Snotlout swallowed a little, frowning. "So, what-what are we going to do? Are you going to tell Stoick?"

"No, no. I can't." Hiccup shook his head no, straightening. "He wouldn't-"

"But what about the arena? You're supposed to kill a dragon tomorrow! Obviously you can't!" Snotlout hissed.

"I know, I know, but I might have a plan, I-I jus' gotta…..hope it goes well. I don't want anything to go wrong. Look, don't worry. No dragon is going to get killed tomorrow, I'll make sure of it." Hiccup assured him, looking serious and determined, lips pursed together.

Snotlout was nodding slowly. "Right. Well good luck." He said honestly. "To both of us I guess. I just hope I can see Hookfang again soon."

Hiccup nodded. "It's gonna be alright, Snotlout. Trust me."

* * *

The next day, everyone was gathered around the arena, ready to watch Hiccup "kill" a dragon.

The Chief made his announcement to the crowd, declaring how proud he was of his son and such, going to his chair to sit front and center, Snotlout awaiting outside the gates with Hiccup and Astrid.

The two were talking and Snotlout glanced around him, glad he was hidden so his father couldn't see him, knowing how furious he still was about him not being the one to get picked.

"Astrid, if something goes wrong, just make sure they don't find Toothless." Hiccup looked at Astrid closely, looking completely serious. "You too, Snotlout."

Snotlout swallowed and frowned softly, offering a small nod. "Okay."

"I will." Astrid said softly. "Jus' promise me nothing will go wrong."

Hiccup opened his mouth to respond but then Gobber appeared, telling him it was time to begin and to "knock 'em dead," which Snotlout internally shuddered at.

Hiccup seemed to take in a deep breath and started walking inside, placing his helmet on his head, Snotlout lingering behind with Astrid, glancing at her nervously, almost holding his breath as Hiccup grabbed his weapon, the crowd chanting the boy's name loudly.

Then Hiccup stood still and after a moment the dragon was released from it's cage, startling everyone as flames spread everywhere from the dragon who furiously burst out, the crowd gasping eagerly.

Snotlout couldn't help but let his jaw fall open as he watched, gulping hard, immensely reminded of Hookfang as he watched the Monstrous Nightmare scramble around the cage ferociously and blast fire at the crowd, wishing he was with his beloved dragon right now.

The dragon doused his flames and eventually landed in front of Hiccup, eyeing him down with narrowed eyes, approaching him slowly with warning growls, Hiccup slowly stepping backwards.

Snotlout gulped when Hiccup dropped his knife and then his shield, the dragon watching him closely, seeming to soften, shouts and protests starting to come from the crowd, horrified gasps filling the air when Hiccup removed his helmet and tossed it aside, declaring "I'm not one of them."

Snotlout glanced around at the crowd's shocked faces with wide eyes, holding his breath, even able to feel Astrid's tension off her shoulders as he stood right next to her.

The chief was starting to rise from his chair. "Stop the fight."

"No. I need you all to see this." Hiccup interrupted, slowly reaching his hand out to the Nightmare's snout, eyebrows furrowed. "They're not who we think they are. We don't have to kill them."

The dragon was sniffing him, eyes no longer narrowed into slits, seeming relaxed, watching Hiccup's hand.

"I said stop the fight!" Stoick suddenly roared, slamming his hammer down onto one of the bars with a loud clang, startling the dragon, who's eyes went narrow, snapping his teeth immediately at Hiccup, who yelped, leaping away with a scream as the dragon fired at him.

Snotlout gasped and watched with huge eyes as the dragon gave chase, Hiccup scrambling and dodging to get away from it, trying not to get eaten, yelping with fear.

Astrid suddenly elbowed Snotlout's arm, startling him. "Come on!" She grabbed a nearby axe off the wall, using it to pry open the gates, slipping through, Snotlout gaping at her, waiting until she was on the other side before he too went in after her, watching as Hiccup dodged another blast and grabbed a shield in an attempt to defend himself, the Nightmare still giving chase.

Astrid cried out Hiccup's name as she watched, smacking Snotlout's arm. "Get in there and try and help! You have the same dragon!"

Snotlout flinched and gulped but shakingly nodded, starting to hurry over, though he was extremely terrified, racing over, coming to the dragon with outstretched hands.

"Hey, hey, easy big boy, easy! It-It's okay!" He held his hands out at the dragon who turned his head towards him with a roar, snarling as he now started coming for Snotlout whose eyes widened, turning to run away, frightened.

"Oh no. Aaaahh, aaaahhh!" He screamed as he scrambled to run away, trying his best not to trip over his feet, the hugely immense dragon amazingly fast, snapping his teeth at him.

He heard Stoick shout something, seeing Astrid run towards the gates out of the corner of his eye, yelping as he dodged another one of the dragon's blasts, turning to run after Hiccup who ran to follow after Astrid, whimpering with fear, legs pumping with adrenaline.

Suddenly he felt himself being picked up and lifted into the air, making him scream with terror, covering his face with his hands, kicking frantically, the dragon picking him up in his teeth, tossing him over his shoulder with a roar, Snotlout tumbling and somersaulting across the cement as he painfully hit the ground, yelping when he finally stopped rolling to land on his backside.

He swore he could hear someone shouting his name but everything was all spinning and blurry, only able to make out a dark flash coming towards him, seeing the dragon pin Hiccup down with his talons, gasping as he thought for sure the dragon would kill him.

Suddenly there was a whirring sound in the air which Snotlout thought sounded familiar and suddenly smoke was everywhere around him, making him cough, looking up in shock to see Toothless suddenly in the ring, knocking away the Nightmare, rolling and tussling with him as it roared out frantically, snapping its teeth.

Gaping with fear, Snotlout got to his feet to get out of the way and give them some distance, shaking as he backed away with an open mouth, completely shocked to see Toothless was here.

Suddenly another deafening roar sounded ahead and the form of another dragon suddenly flew in to join the fight, Snotlout doing a double take when he saw red, horrified when he saw it was Hookfang, legs going a little wobbly in shock.

Hookfang roared and joined Toothless in fighting off the other Nightmare, snapping his teeth ferociously, wings spread apart widely, slamming his snout straight into the other's to knock the dragon away, staying in front of Snotlout protectively, Toothless doing the same for Hiccup.

Snotlout gaped with fear as he watched, touched yet horrified that Hookfang was here to defend him, glancing once at Hiccup who still remained on the ground not far from him, looking just as shocked as he was.

The Monstrous Nightmare roared furiously at the dragons, not seeming to understand and Toothless roared back, making sure the dragon didn't dare come near Hiccup again, snapping his teeth, the Nightmare eventually shrinking back with a roar, rushing off.

Hiccup had darted to his feet to scramble over to Toothless and Snotlout gulped with fear, hurrying over to Hookfang as well who lowered his snout to him with a relieved warble, keeping his narrowed eyes on the crowd above them, growling protectively.

Snotlout frowned deeply at him with frightened eyes, grabbing at his snout urgently. "Okay Hookfang, go! Get out of here, now!"

Shouts from the crowd grew louder as Vikings jumped into the arena, surrounding them, making Snotlout panic with fear, pushing desperately at Hookfang's snout, who stayed rigid right where he stood, not moving, guarding Snotlout protectively with outstretched wings.

"Hookfang! GO!" Snotlout screamed, pushing at him with fear, gasping when Hookfang suddenly roared out with fury, lashing out at the Vikings who came at him with their axes, knocking them away with his wings and tail, lighting himself aflame, not straying too far away from Snotlout, who cried out.

"No Hookfang, go, get out of here!" He screamed, watching with horror as the Vikings advanced on his dragon, flinching when he saw Hookfang get punched, someone hitting him with an axe, making Hookfang cry out in pain, raising his wings to fly away, taking off into the air at full speed, roaring with agitation.

Though relieved he was able to get away, Snotlout reached an arm out to go after him, crying out, somebody grabbing ahold of him to hold him back, wrapping their arms around his chest protectively. "Hookfang! Hooky!" Snotlout cried out and pulled at the figure holding him, not even caring who it was, just wanting to make sure his dragon was okay, but Hookfang had already flown out of sight.

Breathing heavily and panting with fear, Snotlout's eyes wandered over to Hiccup and Toothless, seeing Toothless was being pinned down by numerous Vikings, making him gasp, seeing Hiccup was crying out as Astrid held him back, the Chief standing in front of Toothless, looking furious.

He heard him say "Put 'em with the others," Snotlout tensing with fear for Toothless's life, panting heavily with wide eyes, glancing back to share a frightened look with whoever was holding him back, going rigid when he saw it was his father, eyes immediately flashing with fear, mouth falling completely open, feeling like his heart had just stopped.

He was officially a dead Viking.

There was no way he could get out of this one now.

* * *

"Rrrrrrrr, how could ye do this to me?!" Spitelout roared as he threw Snotlout inside the Great Hall, not caring that the boy had fallen to the floor, slamming the door shut behind them, glaring down murderously.

Snotlout shook everywhere, his heart racing, struggling. "D-Dad, wait, I know I screwed up, I know, I-"

"All this time, yer suddenly friends with a dragon now?" Spitelout jerked a thumb back, unable to believe it. "So it was all a lie now was it?"

"Uh, uh, I-" Snotlout started getting to his feet.

"An' I suppose yesterday in the woods, that was all a part of this too, eh?"

"Dad, please, I-"

"What is wrong with ye, boy-o?!" Spitelout roared, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "Yer entire life, all ye do is screw up everything!"

Snotlout cowered, beginning to cry, whimpering as tears ran down his face. "D-Dad, you have to try and understand, please, please just listen," He was practically begging, frowning deeply with huge eyes, wondering in the back of his head where his mother was, wanting her to intervene. "I didn't do this to hurt you, I-"

Upon hearing this, Spitelout immediately smacked him, knocking Snotlout back. "Oh really eh?! Yer a traitor Snotlout! You've really gone and done it this time!" He sneered now, spitting out his words. "You've officially ruined the Jorgenson name! How do ye think this looks on me if I'm the second-in-command to the Chief?! Ye embarrassed me, Snotlout! In front of Stoick! In front of the village! Now everyone's going to know about this and won't do well enough to leave me alone about it from now on….."

Snotlout whimpered, starting to get up from his feet again, trying to keep his tears from falling but he couldn't. "Dad, please, I-I-I'm sorry….!" He almost shouted, not knowing what else to do.

Spitelout looked down at him with hatred, angrier than he had ever been before. "Well sorry don't cut it. And it sure don't save yer scrawny rear now does it?! Oh, and that dragon of yours, yer little friend, yer little buddy? Ye won't be seein' him again, I'll make sure of it!"

Snotlout's head whipped up at him, eyes flashing with fear. "What? No, no! You can't hurt Hookfang! I won't let you hurt him!" He cried out, yanking on his father's arm, who snarled angrily at the touch, smacking him again, making him yelp.

"Of course I can! I'll kill that dragon meself! An' you, yer grounded for life!" He pointed a threatening finger down at his son who cowered, sniveling and whimpering like some little tike. "Yer never goin' to embarrass me again! Yer not going to leave that house unless it's under MY watch!"

Snotlout whimpered and cried, getting up to grab at his father's arm again, shaking his head no frantically. "No! You're not going to hurt Hookfang! He's my dragon, you can't do this to me, dad!"

Spitelout raised his opposite hand with a snarl, punching Snotlout straight in the eye, glad when Snotlout let go of his arm, glaring down at him as he lay curled up on the floor crying loudly, clutching his eye with pain, looking completely helpless, infuriating him.

"Ye think ye can stop me?! I do what I want! But all it ever seems like I'm doin' is cleaning up YOUR mistakes!" He spat down at Snotlout, who looked up through his tears, seeming to flinch at the harsh words but Spitelout had no sympathy for his son at all.

"I HATE ye son! I always have! Yer a good for nothin' screw-up and a cry-baby! Nothin' ye do is worth talkin' about, all ye do is embarrass me and yer mum! I raised ye to be great and ye couldn't even do that, I hate _everything_ about ye!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, pacing around furiously.

Snotlout was listening with a deep frown, crying, heart-broken, whimpering as he cried, practically sobbing now, wanting to crawl away into a deep hole and bury himself in it and never come out, crushed and emotionally destroyed, believing every word his father screamed at him to be true.

"I wish that dragon woulda killed you actually, ye deserve to be eaten after what you've gone and done to me!" Spitelout screamed, fuming with anger, aiming all of his aggression at his child. "I should kill ye myself, actually! I really should! Yer dead to me anyways! I jus' wish ye were out of my life for good, boy! In fact, I wish ye had never been born at all!"

A sob escaped Snotlout's lips as he whimpered, shaking, crying hard as all he could do was remain on the floor cowering, listening to his father's ranting, his father's words killing him.

"I never loved ye anyways! Not ever! I've always hated ye! Especially when ye were a babe, ugh! And then for ye to grow up like this, why did I even ever bother with ye?!" Spitelout scowled as he shouted, shaking his head despite all of his words being complete lies, but he didn't care at the moment, not thinking any of it mattered to his son. "I wish I had any other son than you Snotlout! Hell, I-I-I'd even take Hiccup over you!"

Snotlout whimpered and cried, looking up with complete despair, sobbing. "D-Daddy, i-I'm sorry….." Was all he could say, wanting his mother, needing her comfort.

"I'm not yer daddy!" Spitelout screamed back at him, stomping his foot, clenching his fists furiously at his sides. "Not anymore! I'm through with ye!" He pointed a menacing finger down at Snotlout with hatred. "Find another home to go to 'cause I'm officially disowning you! I never want to see ye ever again!"

Snotlout almost gasped and another sob escaped his lips as he scrambled to his feet, rushing past his father in tears, covering his face with his hands as he burst out of the Great Hall, hurrying down the stairs and making an immediate turn for the forest, pushing past Villagers who stood in crowded groups nearby, running as fast as he could into the woods despite his wobbly legs, sobbing.

A few Villagers looked at him fearfully as he ran past them, glancing at each other questionably, watching him run off.

Snotlout's loud sobs filled the air as he ran, embarrassed that the Villagers had saw, but he couldn't stop crying, running deep into the forest until he could hardly breathe, gasping and wheezing, still sobbing all at once.

Nearly collapsing to his knees, Snotlout wiped at his eyes with balled fists and cried into his palms, taking single steps now. "H-Hookfang!" He cried out his dragon's name in despair, voice cracking.

"H-H-Hookfang….." He cried out, face covered with his hands as he cried, stopping, not able to walk any farther, his body screaming at him to stop and rest, it feeling like he was having a panic-attack he was crying so much.

He remained where he stood and heard some movement nearby, feeling the familiar touch of Hookfang's tail wrapping around him protectively, looking up through his tears to see Hookfang's snout come near him, hearing the familiar warble he had been longing to hear again.

"H-Hookfang….." Snotlout wiped at his eye with an arm, hugging his snout and nuzzling into him, still crying as he leaned all of his weight against him, not able to help himself, whimpers and sobs still escaping him.

Hookfang looked at him with wide eyes, warbling with concern for his rider, sniffing him, peering curiously at the weird drops of water coming from the boy's eyes, frightened from the sounds that came from him, never having heard these before.

He gave a low rumble of sympathy, not liking the state Snotlout was in, able to smell the worry and pain right off of him, wondering who had done this to him. He thought he could smell traces of the evil man who had attacked Snotlout last night, but he couldn't be too sure.

Snotlout was sniffling and trying to stop crying, managing to open his eyes. "Th-Thank you, Hoo-Hookfang. I-I missed you. You-You okay?"

He took a few shaky steps back as he wiped at his eyes, looking his dragon over carefully with concern. Spotting a large gash with blood running down on Hookfang's leg, Snotlout tensed with worry, his stomach dropping.

"Y-Y-You're hurt, Hooky…"

Hookfang craned his neck over to him to block his path as Snotlout tried to go over to him, giving him a look and a roar that said, You're hurt too….

Snotlout gently pushed his snout away and came closer to his leg, frowning deeply with guilt. "Oh Hooky, I'm-I'm so sorry." He sniffled again, face scrunched up with pain as he was still crying.

"I-I think this-this was all a big mistake," He choked out. "We-we never should have became friends, Hooky. Everything's ruined."

Hookfang frowned deeply at him with a warble of concern at his words, craning his neck over, gently grabbing Snotlout with his teeth, bringing him over gently to his chest, the boy not even protesting.

Hookfang began to nuzzle him with worry, lying his snout in his lap as he curled his body around Snotlout protectively, showing him he was here for him.

Snotlout was sniffling, wiping furiously at his eyes, hating to cry, whimpering. "This is my fault. Th-This wasn't supposed to happen. Dad-Dad was supposed to respect me." His face scrunched up with pain again as he began petting Hookfang's snout, broken sounds of timid sobs coming from him.

"We-We're going to have to leave, Hooky. Daddy, h-he's going to come out looking for you, I can't let him kill you. And I'll probably be banished from the island by the Chief anyways. I-I can't go home now, oh Hooky, what are we going to do?" He choked out and began crying into his hands again, distraught.

Hookfang warbled with immense concern, nuzzling the side of his face gently with his snout, attempting to lick at the strange tears falling from Snotlout's eyes, though it only got his hair soaking wet with saliva coating his face, but Snotlout hardly seemed to notice.

"Oh, oh H-Hooky," He whimpered out in a broken voice. "I-I don't wanna leave! I don't wanna leave my friends or my home. And-and I especially don't want to leave my mother." He looked up to gaze into Hookfang's eyes with a look of despair, Hookfang finally able to get a good look at his face, seeing Snotlout's black eye and bruised cheeks, making him warble out with worry.

Again he tried to sympathetically lick away the tears on his friend's face with his large tongue, this time being a little more successful, Snotlout's hair and face now drenched in saliva.

Snotlout sniffled, wiping at his eye, seeming to smile a little at Hookfang's attempt to cheer him up. "I-I wish daddy didn't hate me…..then this wouldn't be so terrible. And-and I'd be able to stay here with you." He frowned deeply at him, lip quivering.

"H-H-He said he's never even loved me, not even when I was little….." Snotlout's voice cracked as he whimpered, sniffling again. "H-How can he hate me so much?"

Hookfang nuzzled him affectionately again, listening to his rider's words closely, starting to put two and two together that this term "daddy" was the same evil man who hurt Snotlout before, warbling quietly with sympathy, able to understand how pained Snotlout felt.

Snotlout was starting to cry harder again. "I-I never meant to disappoint him, but he-he doesn't love me. M-Mommy does but-but he never has. I-I wish I could see her again, I miss her." He whimpered out, trembling and shaking, wanting to squeeze his mother's yak-doll right up against his chest, his toy being one of the two, now three including Hookfang, things that comforted him, having cried into that's doll's wool for his entire life.

He began crying into his hands, wishing his mother was here, her being the one person he loved and cared about most. "Hooky, I-I don't wanna leave here! I-I wanna stay, with-with you! And even Hiccup and Astrid and Fishlegs and the twins and Stoick and Mommy and Daddy, I can't leave! But-But my family, they-they don't respect me anymore." He whimpered, crying as he felt Hookfang nuzzling him gently with worry.

Hookfang watched him cry with a deep frown, feeling extremely sorry for him, wishing he'd stop crying, not liking the sounds he was making, warbling and rumbling quietly with worry, staying curled around him protectively, loving him.

Suddenly he heard shouting, snout raising in alarm.

"Snotlout? Snotlout!"

Snotlout's head raised too, eyes widening. "Mom? Mom!" He stood up to go to his mother as she came into view but Hookfang blocked him from going anywhere with his wings and snout, growling lowly at the stranger with narrowed eyes, not wanting her to hurt Snotlout.

June sort of froze with a gasp when she saw the dragon curled around her son, lips pursing together tightly, eyes widened.

"No, no, it's okay Mom, he won't hurt you….." Snotlout assured with a rushed voice, putting a gentle hand on Hookfang's snout, Hookfang continuing to growl.

June seemed to nod, swallowing hard as she started coming closer. "It's okay son…. I believe you." She breathed out and extended her hand carefully towards Hookfang's snout, surprising Snotlout whose mouth opened with fear.

Hookfang sniffed the hand carefully, immediately recognizing strong traces of Snotlout and the evil man, but also picking up warmth and kindness, not sensing any sort of threat whatsoever, growls morphing into a low warble, eyes softening as he let her put her hand to his snout, purring softly.

Snotlout watched with wide eyes, impressed and shocked. "Whoa….." He breathed out, loving his mother even more now as she seemed to smile softly at Hookfang, patting his snout softly.

"Thank you." He heard her whisper to the dragon before her eyes wandered down to him, extending her arms out as her face suddenly flashed with worry, Snotlout not hesitating one moment to hurry into her arms for an embrace, instinctively hiding his face into her shoulder.

"Oh son, are you okay?" She questioned with a worried voice, hugging him and swaying him, petting his hair despite the dragon spit, relieved to see him again. "He didn't hurt you too bad, did he? Oh, let me look at you….." She pulled away to examine Snotlout's face, brushing his stray bangs aside.

Watching them, Hookfang slowly backed up to give them some space, watching closely, cocking his head a little to see someone being as affectionate to Snotlout as he was, surprised.

Snotlout frowned deeply at his mother as she looked him over, sniffling as she frowned at the sight of his black eye and several bruises. "Oh son….i'm so sorry." She hugged him again and rubbed his back softly in circles, closing her eyes tightly as he snuggled into her. "Wh-What did he say?"

Snotlout frowned with a sniffle, a few tears falling from his eyes. "H-He said he hates me. He doesn't wanna see me again."

June frowned deeply at him with glossy eyes, squeezing him tighter. "Oh Snotlout….he didn't mean that, son, he didn't mean that."

Snotlout frowned deeply, pulling away out of her hug, though he stayed close. "H-He said he's going to kill Hookfang." He gestured back with a worried look at his dragon, who warbled lowly. "I can't let him hurt Hookfang, Mom. I-I-I have to leave. I can't stay here anymore."

June's frown deepened at him, swallowing hard, though she completely understood, knowing this was because of her husband. "I understand, son." She ran her gentle fingers through his hair softly. "I-I love you."

She looked at him sincerely, turning to reach a hand into her saddle-bag. "But if you must go…..please take this with you." She took out Snotlout's beloved yak-doll, handing it to him.

Snotlout gasped and instinctively squeezed it tightly, tears beginning to fall again at the realization that he was actually leaving his friends and family, quickly hugging her again tightly.

"I-I don't want to leave Mom, I don't want to leave everyone behind!" He cried into her shoulder. "I want to stay! B-But-But I can't stay with D-Daddy and-and not with Hookfang's life on the line." He sniffled, remembering when his father declared disowning him, whimpering again, still crushed by his father hating him.

Snotlout knew he'd miss him though. A lot.

June sniffled herself, swaying with Snotlout as she hugged him tightly, kissing his head gently. "You do whatever is best for you, son. But I'll talk to yer father about this." She pulled away to look at him closely, gazing into his blue eyes. "You know he loves you very much."

Snotlout frowned deeply at her, looking away immediately when she said that, not believing her, it almost being like an instinct by now not to believe any sentences including the words "Dad" "loves" or "he didn't mean that."

Hookfang was watching the pair closely, remaining quiet, frowning deeply at them, keeping a close eye on Snotlout, paying close attention to the way they comforted each other, taking some mental notes.

Snotlout slowly took a step back, shaking his head no at his mother. "I-I'm sorry Mom. I-I have to go. I'm really sorry."

June pursed her lips together softly, looking at him sympathetically. "Don't be. I-I love you very much, son. And I always will. Good luck to you."

Snotlout nodded and started coming to Hookfang, who let him saddle up with a quiet purr, turning to look at June when she put a soft hand on his snout.

"Take care of him, dragon. Please take care of him." She whispered softly, glancing up at her son who cuddled his yak-doll closely to his chest, loving him with all her heart.

Hookfang snorted softly and gave a low purr in response, telling her he would, reminding himself to never let Snotlout get hurt ever again.

Snotlout sniffled from atop Hookfang's neck, watching. "M-Mom? You-You could come with us. C-Come with me….."

Though she never wanted to be apart from her son, June swallowed hard, her eyes alone telling him she was sorry. "I'm sorry son, but, I'm needed here. I love you. You'll always be my little babe."

Snotlout sniffled, silent tears falling down his cheeks. "I love you too, Mom. Tell….." He hesitated, biting his lip with a deep frown. "Tell Dad and everyone else I'm sorry. Le-Let's go Hookfang."

Hookfang gave a soft roar and a nod, spreading his wings to take off, flying into the air as high as he could, flying as far away from Berk as possible, until it was nowhere in sight.

* * *

As the two landed, Hookfang watched Snotlout step off him onto the island, noticing the shakiness of Snotlout's wobbly legs, roaring softly.

Snotlout stepped a few feet away, toy still clutched tightly in his fist, looking at all the trees and empty land, not another person in sight, his eyes beginning to water.

Hookfang frowned when he saw Snotlout was crying again, flinching when Snotlout fell to his knees, those awful sounds coming from him again.

He wasn't saying anything, he just sat there, crying. Hookfang craned his neck closer with a warble, watching with big eyes, pained to see his friend like this.

Just wanting Snotlout to stop crying, he gently grabbed the toy he was holding with his teeth, pulling it away, the heavy scent of Snotlout and his parents swarming his nostrils.

"N-No, no!" Snotlout cried out and reached for it with a desperate look, which was not the reaction Hookfang was expecting, eyes widening with guilt as he saw the pain in Snotlout's eyes, slowly lowering his snout down with a purr, dropping the toy down into the boy's lap with a frown, watching him hug it immediately.

Hookfang slowly craned his neck back, warbling sadly as Snotlout kept crying, frowning as he decided to curl up against him, placing his snout gently in his lap, keeping close warmly.

Snotlout began to pet him gently, touched by the comfort, but he wouldn't stop crying and Hookfang didn't know what else to do but remain curled up by his side and try and comfort him.

* * *

The next day the two flew back to Berk, but only because Hookfang thought a little flight might cheer Snotlout up, and to visit the forest again, going to the cove, it odd not seeing Toothless there.

Hookfang warbled softly at Snotlout as he dismounted with a sniffle, snorting and sniffing the boy's hair, trying to tell him it was okay.

Snotlout had barely slept last night and Hookfang was worried about him, not sure how to help him get better. And Snotlout had barely even said a word to him, crushing his heart, longing to hear his rider's voice again.

Snotlout only seemed to ignore him, sighing as went and plopped down on a rock, staring at that toy he never let go of. Hookfang tried to comfort him, but nothing seemed to be working, making him frown deeply with a pained purr, lying down near Snotlout sadly, moving his snout away when Snotlout wouldn't even pet him.

The two just sat there, looking miserable. It wasn't until they heard shouting that either one of them moved.

"Snotlout?! Snotlout!" Snotlout lifted his head, startled to hear Astrid's voice, slowly standing. "Astrid?"

Astrid quickly appeared at the edge of the cove, wide-eyed. "Snotlout, there you are! Quick, we need you!"

Snotlout looked at her, almost tiredly, frowning, glancing once at Hookfang who seemed to straighten at the new stranger. "Who's we?"

"Hiccup and the others! Bring your dragon and let's go!" Astrid urged, seeming to be in a hurry.

"I-I can't Astrid." Snotlout only shook his head with a sad look. "I can't go back there."

"Snotlout, we need you, Hiccup needs you! The whole village is in danger!"

"D-Danger? H-How?

"The Chief's sent everyone to the Dragons' Nest, they're going to try and take on the Queen and they're going to get killed! Hiccup has a plan, we gotta hurry!"

Snotlout frowned with wide eyes, starting to get worried. "I-I-I dunno if I can, Astrid….are-are my parents gone?"

"The whole island has went, now come on! We need you!" Astrid nodded with an urge, turning to run off, assuming Snotlout would follow.

Snotlout gulped and shared a fearful look with Hookfang, who warbled curiously at him, Snotlout taking in a deep breath, knowing he had to do this. "Okay Hooky, let's go."

Hookfang roared and bobbed his head in agreement, letting Snotlout get saddled, taking off quickly, going into battle.

* * *

It wasn't until after the battle with the Red Death and Hiccup had saved the day and then Toothless had saved him, that Snotlout saw his parents again, his mother grabbing his arm gently to pull him away from the cheering crowd, hugging him tightly. "Oh son! I'm so proud of you! Thank Thor you're alright!"

She was smiling widely with relief and happiness at her son, even smiling at Hookfang as the dragon came close to be at Snotlout's side, the Nightmare sniffing them both to make sure they were alright, looking happy to see Snotlout was smiling.

"Thank you, Mom. I couldn't have done it without Hookfang though."

Hookfang gave a proud roar behind them, nudging Snotlout affectionately, who laughed softly, still embraced in his mother's warm hug.

The three heard a voice clear their throat behind him and they turned, seeing Spitelout approaching slowly, a frown etched onto his face.

At the sight of his father, Snotlout immediately frowned and partially hid himself behind his mother, gulping hard, looking at his feet in shame, expecting his father to start exploding at him.

Spitelout's mouth opened and then closed, frowning deeply, looking down at his son closely as he came closer. "S-Son, I-I-"

Hookfang's snout suddenly appeared in front of him with a threatening growl, blocking Spitelout's path, eyeing him with narrowed eyes, warning him not to dare try anything, Spitelout getting the message, putting his hands up in surrender as he flinched away, Hookfang slowly shrinking back.

Spitelout started again. "I-I'm sorry son. For everything. I-I love ye son. Ple-Please forgive me. D-Do ye?" He looked at him sincerely, showing his sympathy, glancing between his wife and Hookfang, guilt eating away at him.

Snotlout slowly stepped away from his mother, swallowing hard, looking up at his father, almost holding his breath, slowly giving a nod, the corners of his lips slowly perking into a smile.

Spitelout's eyes flickered with happiness as his face lit up, extending his arms, embracing Snotlout in a tight hug, pulling June close as well, hugging them both tightly, extremely proud and happy to be with them again, kissing the top of their heads softly with laughter.

Hookfang watched them closely, relaxing when he saw Snotlout was smiling and he wasn't getting harmed, slowly craning his neck towards the trio to join them in their embrace, purring softly as he could sense the happiness drifting off of them.

Spitelout saw him and his smile fell, slowly reaching a hand out to him hesitantly, showing him he meant no harm.

Hookfang growled lowly, still not trusting him, eyeing him closely when Spitelout continued to reach out, placing his hand down on his snout gently, looking sincere. "Thank you for lookin' after my boy." He said quietly, making Hookfang relax, growls subsiding.

Snotlout was smiling softly as he watched, beaming happily. Hookfang then purred lowly and nudged Spitelout gently to show him he accepted his apology, Spitelout beginning to laugh, patting the dragon's snout gently. "Ha ha! To the dragons then!"

Snotlout began to chuckle as well and came over to join them, hugging his dragon too with a wide smile, Hookfang roaring happily with pride, Snotlout proud of himself too, realizing he had finally proved himself and that Vikings and dragons would be enemies no more.

Of course he couldn't have done it without Hiccup, who admittedly did most of the work, but Snotlout couldn't let Hiccup have all the credit….. :)

 **I think this has been my most favorite one to write so far, despite it taking so long. Any Review or Requests Would Make My Day, Thanks...**


	12. The 'Talk'

**The 'Talk'**

 **As requested, an alternate ending to the RTTE episode 'A Time to Skrill' featuring Spitelout and Snotlout's "talk." Warning for graphic child abuse ahead. I'm assuming you've all seen the episode 'A Time to Skrill' so I'll just jump right into the story. And if you haven't watched it, then what are you waiting for, go watch it straight away silly!**

"So, yer my "favorite son" now, are ye?" Spitelout growled as he shoved Snotlout into his room, closing the door behind them.

Snotlout stepped back with a gulp, letting out a nervous chuckle, knowing what was coming. "Heh heh, if you say so, Dad."

Spitelout's eyes narrowed into slits, growling at him, Snotlout instantly going serious.

"Ye know, boy-o," Spitelout started with an almost friendly voice, though his expression didn't show it. "If ye think I'm so proud of ya, then why would I be here with you right now?"

Snotlout swallowed, not understanding at first. "Uhhhhh….."

"If I was proud of ye, we wouldn't be here doin' this." Spitelout finished with a growl, glaring. "Ye think I'm proud of ye?! Proud of _you_?"

Snotlout gulped hard, Spitelout starting to back him up into the wall. "Um, y-yes Daddy?" He squeaked, trying his best to to avoid a fight, dreading where this was going.

A growl escaped his father's lips, who towered above him with a furious glare. "Well I'm not." He snapped. "How could I possibly be proud of you?"

Snotlout grinned nervously as he cowered. "B-Because I'm your son and you love me?" He tried.

Spitelout started laughing, indicating this was not going the way Snotlout wanted it to.

"Ha ha, good one, son." Spitelout laughed, wiping away a mock tear from his eye. "Ye managed to make me actually laugh."

Snotlout laughed too, though it was all fake, still expecting the worst at any upcoming second.

Spitelout's laughs quickly subsided and his face went dead-serious, making Snotlout physically flinch just from the anger in his eyes.

"Well son, you and I both know what's comin', so let's get to the point then, shall we?" He lifted a fist as an implication, clenching it.

Snotlout gulped softly, back up against the wall. "D-Do-Do we have to?" He peeped, dreading these moments.

Spitelout didn't answer, instead he only punched him, making Snotlout yelp and hold his lip, ducking with a gasp as his father swung again.

"Ye think yer so smug now, don't ye Snotlout?" Spitelout growled as he threw his fists, punching his son carelessly, who was trapped by him against the wall.

"D-Dad, please, j-jus' stop!" Snotlout tried to push against him, crying out when he got slugged in the stomach, almost doubling over, gasping for air.

"Stop? Yer the one who went on and on about how great I think ye are!" Spitelout growled, giving a strong pull to Snotlout's hair.

Snotlout yelped and managed to push his father away, darting past him, only to get tackled to the floor, his father scrambling to pin him down.

"Dad!" He whined as he squirmed, kicking, whimpering when his father yanked on his hair and grabbed at his face.

"Quit strugglin'!" Spitelout snapped, managing to wrap an arm around Snotlout's throat, beginning to squeeze, knowing that would get him to go still.

Snotlout began to cough, whimpering, struggling to pry at his father's arm around his neck as he choked him.

Spitelout glared and began to stand up, pulling his son up with him, who was too little to do otherwise, kicking helplessly as he coughed. "St-Stop!" He wheezed, squirming.

Spitelout growled and took his arm away, punching Snotlout right in the face, knocking him up against the wall, making him yelp loudly in pain, struggling not to cry.

"Still think you're my favorite son?" Spitelout stomped up to him, slugging Snotlout in the stomach again, watching him double over and gasp.

"Ye should know that if ye weren't my only son, ye certainly wouldn't be my favorite." He growled, picking up his whimpering son by his hair again.

Snotlout yelped at the yanking on his hair and squirmed and jerked, reaching back. "St-Stop! L-Let go!"

Spitelout glared and threw his son down to the floor, stomping a foot onto his chest, pressing down hard. "Oh by the way, son, thanks for 'avenging' me." He snorted, glaring down as Snotlout weakly pried at his foot with no avail, face scrunched up in pain.

"Y-You're-You're welcome!" Snotlout coughed out, kicking, unable to get his father's foot off him, not strong enough, feeling like he was getting squashed, wheezing to breathe.

Spitelout then kicked him in the face hard with a snarl, not liking his son's smart attitude. "I hate ye, son! Ye never do anything right!"

Snotlout held his sore nose which he was sure was bleeding by now, whimpering. "Please don't hurt me anymore…." He squeaked, gasping when his father grabbed him by his shirt, hoisting him up into the air.

"Why shouldn't I?!" His father snapped, punching him again and dropping him, Snotlout holding his face gingerly in pain, curling into himself on the floor. "Yer jus' a screw-up anyways!" Spitelout growled, kicking his son in the stomach.

Snotlout yelped and whimpered, tears pricking at his eyes, everything hurting as his father kept hitting him. "Dad, please stop, I'm sorry!"

At his son's whining, the sound of which he absolutely hated, Spitelout instantly kicked him in the face, blood filling Snotlout's mouth. "Shut up! Yer jus' so annoyin'! Why did I ever get stuck with you?" He growled.

Snotlout was attempting to get up, shaking, starting to crawl away. "B-Because you wanted a son, daddy….." He half-reminded, yelping when he got kicked again, groaning in pain against the wall.

"And I never even got one!" Spitelout growled, picking his son up by his hair, using both hands this time, holding him up despite Snotlout shrieking in pain.

"All I got was some wee little cry-baby, who I've never even loved by the way." He growled, tossing Snotlout to the floor carelessly, who tumbled and bounced, shoulder bruising badly from the impact.

"L-Love you too dad," Snotlout whimpered out in pain with sarcasm, struggling to push himself up, gasping when his father came over and latched a hand around his throat, slamming him down onto the hard floor, slugging him.

"Don't mock me!" Spitelout snapped, sitting on-top of Snotlout's chest with his knees pinning down the boy's elbows, punching the boy's face a total of six times as he screamed at him. "Why couldn't ye be the warrior I tried to raise you to be?! Why'd ye have to grow up to be such a damn failure?!"

Snotlout was crying by now, his face badly bruised and his left eye swollen, shaking as he didn't dare squirm underneath him, whimpering and sniveling out, wanting his father to stop.

"Quit yer cryin'! Yer eighteen years old for Thor's sake!" Spitelout snapped, giving Snotlout's cheek a hard slap. "All these years since you was a babe and yer still cryin'!"

A sob escaped Snotlout's lips, unable to feel the left side of his face anymore. "D-Daddy, please, j-jus' stop. M-Mommy's gonna hate you when she finds out." He whimpered.

"Rrrrraaahhh!" Spitelout snarled, punching Snotlout as hard as he could again, infuriated with him, finally getting off him, going near Snotlout's bed to find the crate he was looking for.

Snotlout sniffled as he held his cheek, rolling painfully to his feet, his head smarting badly, whimpering as he struggled to stand, hurrying to the door as an attempt to escape. "Mom?! Mom?!"

A fist grabbed him though and he was yanked back, receiving another hard blow to his face, sending him impacting hard into the wall again, crying as he shook everywhere.

He could just barely make out his father's mumbling under his breath through the ringing in his ears, squinting to see Spitelout was marching up to him, rope in his hands, making Snotlout tense with fear, unable to have any time to react however before Spitelout kicked him.

"D-Daddy no!" He cried out as his father kicked him onto his stomach, Snotlout hurriedly squirming and kicking in an attempt to get away. "No!"

"Come on, son, ye know the drill! Put yer hands behind yer back." Spitelout growled, kicking Snotlout's side again, who only continued to wriggle. "N-No, I won't!"

Snotlout had been through this a gazillion times before so he knew what to do, but that didn't mean he wanted to do it, squirming on his stomach desperately.

Spitelout glared with an angry huff, putting his foot atop of his son's head, pressing down hard, smooshing Snotlout's face into the floorboards. "Now son!" He barked.

Snotlout flinched and whimpered with a cry, still wriggling weakly, attempting to push himself up weakly with his arms, pitiful cries and sobs coming from him. "N-No Dad! M-Mom, h-help!"

"Rrrrr, come on son!" Spitelout snarled and stepped down harder onto Snotlout's skull, listening to the boy cry out helplessly, who then went limp underneath him, sliding his hands crisscrossed behind his back like he was supposed to.

Spitelout almost smirked and took his foot off, bending down and tying the rope he had grabbed around his son's wrists tightly, tying and yanking the knots as hard as he could.

Snotlout flinched and cried out as his lip quivered. "Th-That-That's too tight!"

Spitelout growled at him with a sneer, completely ignoring him, only giving the rope another hard tug when he had finished, getting to his feet.

Snotlout was still sniveling and whimpering, flinching when he got picked up by his father and carried over to what his father called the 'Time-Out' chair.

Spitelout plopped his son down and slid the boy's arms over the back of the chair where his bound wrists hung down openly, the skin of Snotlout's hands already starting to turn white to red from the rope being tied too tightly.

Snotlout watched as his father bent down in front of him to tie his ankles to the chair, sniffling as he remained still for him, knowing by this point it was completely pointless to try and struggle, otherwise his father would only hit him again.

Snotlout was so used to his, his father having done this to him for at least over a dozen years, but that didn't mean he had by any means gotten used to it.

His father tied his ankles tightly to the legs of the chair with a sneer, coming closer until he was eye-level with his son and Snotlout knew what was coming next.

"Open yer bleepin' mouth, son."

Giving a little sniffle, miserable, Snotlout knew he had to obey, otherwise his father would just smack him again, closing his eyes tightly as he leaned his head back, opening his mouth.

He knew exactly how this went: one gag stuffed in his mouth, the other stuffed in and tied around his head. And that's how his father did it, just like every other time.

Snotlout bit down when they were between his teeth, trying not to let the second one go between the gap in his teeth, but his father purposefully stuck the rag between the gap with his fingers and made sure it stayed there, knowing how much Snotlout hated that and because he was missing the exact same tooth and he hated it just as much as his son did.

Snotlout frowned deeply at his father when he did this, wrinkling his nose a little at the odd feeling of the gag rubbing against his gums, shaking his head in an attempt to get it out, already starting to pry at it with his tongue uselessly, letting out a muffled whimper.

Spitelout only glared, giving his son's face a hard smack, rolling his eyes a little, getting to his feet. He reached a hand down to squeeze at Snotlout's cheeks to double check the gags, Snotlout whimpering and shaking his head at the pressure inside his mouth, flinching when his father let go and patted his cheek softly, seeming satisfied giving his head another little smack as he turned to walk out.

"Now think about what you've done."

He slammed the door shut and Snotlout flinched with a sad whimper, frowning deeply when he heard the clang of the lock his father had installed only specifically for his door, sinking into his seat when he knew this meant his mother couldn't come up to check up on him, since Spitelout had the key and there was no way for her to get in otherwise, knowing he'd be here for awhile now.

He sighed and sat there, continuing to bite down as he stared at the floor, trying to think positive as he counted the hours before his father would come back for him.

* * *

Hours later, Snotlout lifted his head when he heard the clicking of the lock from outside his door, lifting his head sadly to look up at his glaring father when he entered.

Spitelout stepped in and closed the door behind him, Snotlout watching him silently, wondering exactly what time it was, guessing it was dark out by now, knowing he had been stuck up here for at least a couple hours.

Spitelout was giving him an angry look as he came over and Snotlout looked away as he lowered his head a little, feeling like he was six years old again, trying hard to keep himself composed and not break down, wanting to save himself the embarrassment.

"Did ye think about what you've done?" Spitelout growled down at him, his large arms crossed over his chest, scowling down at Snotlout who could barely look at him, watching him nod.

"And are ye sorry?"

Again another nod.

Spitelout sneered, still angry with him, but nevertheless he reached down to remove the gags from his son's mouth, who unhinged his jaw gratefully, absolutely relieved when they were gone, exhaling heavily.

Snotlout remained quiet as his father began to wordlessly untie him, keeping his gaze lowered to the floor, knowing he was to wait until his father spoke before he should even dare speak or move.

When Snotlout was free, Spitelout gave his rear a little smack when he stood, sneering. "Now get to sleep."

Snotlout flinched and rubbed his bottom as he looked back at his father fearfully. "B-But what about supper?" He peeped out, voice a complete whimper.

Spitelout's eyes flashed with anger as he lifted a pointing finger. "Ye missed it." He practically spat. "Now get to bed, son." He growled and Snotlout swallowed with a frown, slowly going over to his bed as he looked away from him, wishing he could at least eat something. And he didn't feel like he could get to sleep anyways, not after all that sitting and thinking for so long.

He stopped before his bed, biting his lip, not looking back when he spoke. "D-Dad, I-I am sorry." He didn't even feel the need to apologize; he really hadn't done anything wrong. But when it came to his father, you apologized for _everything_.

"Save yer breath," He heard Spitelout sneer crossly. "Now get to sleep." Snotlout flinched as he heard the door slam, looking back to see his father was gone without another word.

No, "Goodnight Snotlout", or "See you in the morning, boy-o" and certainly no "I love ye, son."

Snotlout couldn't even remember the last time his father told him he loved him. More than likely it was because he hadn't heard those words come from his father in over a dozen years.

Sighing heavily, Snotlout picked up his beloved yak-doll toy, the one his mother made for him, and crawled into bed, taking off his helmet.

He frowned as he stared at the ceiling, cuddling his toy closely, half-wondering if his mother would come and wish him good-night. She didn't though.

Snotlout laid there for a long time, just thinking and staring, which was no different than what he had been doing all that time he had spent in that chair. His face hurt, but that was something he was used to by now.

Most of his thinking was about his father, how much he disapproved of him and his parenting skills.

He loved his father but it was hard when Spitelout didn't love him back.

It wouldn't be so bad if Spitelout didn't punish him for every single little thing he did, like tonight. But he had been putting up with this his entire life, for as long as he could remember.

And even Snotlout knew it most likely wouldn't change anytime soon.

 **A/N: Next up will be my own one-shot with Snotlout & Minden and then I'll get back to the requests and all. Hopefully i'll be able to update soon; high-school is a killer... :/**


	13. Meet the Parents

**Meet The Parents**

 **A/N: Snotlout and Minden have been a couple for a short time now and Snotlout decides to bring her to Berk to give her a tour. Only Minden sees this as an opportunity to meet Snotlout's parents, which Snotlout agrees to. But now she can't figure out why he seems so nervous about it…..**

"Don't forget your yak, Snotlout."

"I know, Mom, I got it." Snotlout grinned at her, taking the toy from her hands and putting it into his saddle-bag, Hookfang purring beside him softly, watching him pack.

"And don't ye dare forget yer axe, boy-o." Spitelout came up with a smile, shoving Snotlout's axe into his arms roughly, though he didn't mean to, Snotlout struggling to get a grip on it. "Th-Thanks, Dad." He gruffed.

"You have a good time, son." June smiled down at him, as did Spitelout who had his arm around her. "But not too much fun." He chuckled, sharing a glance at his wife, smirking.

"Daaaaaad!" Snotlout whined, shooting him a look, unimpressed.

"What? We're jus' so happy for ya son. Love is a very special thing." Spitelout held his wife's hand, sharing a happy look with her, smiling happily. "Treasure her, son."

Snotlout watched them, putting his axe away, ignoring Hookfang who was sniffing him. "I know that, dad. I treasure Minden. I love her." He shrugged, grinning as he thought about her.

"We know you do, son." His mother replied with a warm smile.

"Jus' don't do anythin' stupid." Spitelout raised a brow at him, pointing a finger.

Snotlout rolled his eyes a little, saddling on Hookfang. "Yes dad, I know." He gripped Hookfang's horns tightly, just wanting to get to Wingmaiden Island already, to get away from his parents and to see Minden of course.

"Have a good time, son. See you in a few days." June waved at him with a smile, Hookfang beginning to take off. "Bye Mom, Bye Dad…" Snotlout called to them, not looking back, relaxing when they were out of ear-shot. " _Finally_." He exhaled. Hookfang glanced up at him, roaring softly, seeming to smirk.

"Thank goodness I'll get to be away from them for awhile. It'll be good to see Minden again, right Hookfang?"

Hookfang smiled and roared softly, liking Minden, glad Snotlout had a female friend to be close with now, understanding that she was the equivalent to being Snotlout's "mate."

Snotlout leaned back in his saddle with a smile, relaxing as he thought about her. "Oh Hooky….she and I are going to get married you know. I like her, she likes me, it's perfect. Good thing I am so over Astrid and Heather because she is the one! Soon enough you'll get to help look after the little ones, buddy." He patted Hookfang's neck softly, smirking at the thought.

Hookfang warbled quizzatively, raising a brow, seeming to snort, flapping along rapidly as the two glided smoothly through the clouds. _Snotlout….? With children…..?_

Snotlout sighed happily again. "Man I can't wait to see her again. Think she's missed me? Yeah, she's missed me…." He grinned, absent-mindedly picking at his fingernails. Hookfang rolled his eyes as he half-listened, bored, focusing on flying.

* * *

It was a long flight to Wingmaiden Island, but it was worth it, knowing they would get to see Minden after all.

It took awhile, but eventually the duo made it to the island, Atali greeting them with a smile and a wave. "Hello again, Snotlout." She nodded to Snotlout as he stepped off and stretched.

"Hey Atali, you get that statue of me erected yet?" He grinned at her, ignoring Hookfang who snorted in disapproval at the remark.

Atali smirked softly, her green eyes warm and friendly. "Unfortunately for you Snotlout, no, which is fortunate for us." Now Hookfang was laughing. Snotlout glared at him.

"Snotlout! Snotlout!"

He heard Minden calling him, perking up when he saw her, surprised yet relieved when she ran up and hugged him. "You're here!"

Hookfang seemed to sniff her and her baby Razorwhip, holding back his purrs, watching the two. Snotlout smiled when they pulled away. "Of course I'm here, babe. I'll come visit you, anytime."

Minden blushed softly at him with a smile, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Th-Thanks."

Atali was watching them with a soft smile. "I'm glad to see you two together again. When you're ready Snotlout, we've prepared a hut for you to rest this evening. I do hope you two will have an excellent time together." She nodded and then turned to walk away, to return to her duties.

Snotlout looked at Minden with a smirk, hands on his hips. "Hear that Mindo? Even Atali thinks we're great together."

Minden held back a chuckle, smiling. "I think she meant we'll enjoy each other's company, but yes Snotlout, we are great together." Now she was blushing, shifting on her feet a little.

Snotlout was watching her happily, gazing into her beautiful teal eyes. "Well, I was uh, thinking a picnic for the night would be great. My mom made us a great snack. Wanna, wanna go?"

"Oh, oh sure!" Minden quickly nodded. "That sounds great."

"Great! Know any uh, great picnic spots?"

"Sure. Follow me." Minden smiled at him and waited until he had saddled onto Hookfang before her Razorwhip took flight, leading him towards the other side of the island.

* * *

Snotlout and Minden were now holding hands, finished with their picnic meal, watching Hookfang and Minden's baby Razorwhip, Poppy, playing together, Hookfang being extra careful with the little, blind infant, roaring softly.

Minden smiled, glancing at Snotlout with twinkling eyes. "This is great Snotlout. We-We need to do it more often."

"I know." Snotlout chuckled softly with a smile. "I'll tell Mom to pack me more picnic snacks for next time."

Minden seemed to soften a little, giving Snotlout's hand a little squeeze. "I wish you didn't live so far away, Snotlout. I-It would be nice to have you here with me…..so-so we could see each other more often."

Snotlout nodded slowly. "I know, Mindo. I wish I could live here too. But your island does kinda have a no-men-allowed policy. But you know, I have been known to be a rebel." He started to grin. "Some might even say a reckless renegade." He smirked, making Minden smile at him.

"Even so…I know you live on Berk and it's your home, but….I like spending time with you." She smiled genuinely, turning to look him straight in the eye, voice soft like snowflakes.

Snotlout swallowed a little, wondering if his cheeks were pink from blushing, smiling back. "I like spending time with you too, Minden." He said slowly and carefully, as if he was worried he'd say something wrong. "And while Berk might be my home, you-you could become my new home, you know, like, wherever you are is home."

Minden's smile grew at that, seeming to beam, glancing away momentarily as if she was embarrassed. "You're very sweet, Snotlout."

Snotlout bit his lip as he smiled, glancing over at the dragons who continued to play together, watching Poppy crawl around on Hookfang's snout, Hookfang's eyes going cross-eyed to see her, it hurting his eyes, making him shake his head in annoyance, growling.

Snotlout smirked at him, knowing he was having just as good of a time as he was. He began to think, opening his mouth to speak after a moment. "Hey uh, you know, I could take you to visit Berk. Then you could get to know what it's like there. It's really great since Hiccup became Chief. But uh, if you like it, maybe you'll think about moving there for when we…live together and all." He shrugged, watching her facial expressions.

She started to smile at him. "That's a great idea, Snotlout. But…..I dunno if I could leave here, like-like you told me, I made an oath to my people, to these dragons." She glanced over at Poppy who was roaring at Hookfang for making her fall off of his snout.

"Then-Then don't worry about leaving!" Snotlout quickly responded, wringing his fingers together. "Maybe just consider it. For the future anyways."

Minden nodded slowly, seeming to accept that, the corners of her lips slowly quirking into a smile. "I would like to come visit Berk though. See where you grew up and all and what it's like. Hey," Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Maybe I can visit your parents while I'm there!"

Snotlout blinked, his mouth forming an 'o'. "My-My parents?"

"Yeah!" Minden seemed excited, sitting up. "I haven't met them yet. And I'd love to see the house you grew up in. And this would be the perfect opportunity."

Snotlout slowly began to nod. "Oh, oh, y-yeah! Yeah! That-that would be great, Minden."

"What were their names again? You said your father is…..Spinelout?" She tried, guessing, making Snotlout chuckle a little. "Spitelout." He corrected, giving a nod. "And June."

Minden nodded, smiling with twinkling eyes. "Oh, Snotlout, they sound lovely. I-I just can't wait to meet them. I-I can meet them right?"

"Oh-Oh sure!" Snotlout nodded quickly, smiling a little nervously. "Of course! Yeah, I-"

He stopped when he heard Poppy roar, the Razorwhip suddenly flying right into Minden's arms, seeming distressed, waving her arms around and growling, sniffing Minden carefully since she couldn't see.

"Whoa, Whoa, Poppy! Easy girl!" Minden frowned at her and held onto her as she seemed to flail around, agitated.

Snotlout immediately looked at Hookfang who had an irritated look on his face, growling with a puff of smoke escaping his nostrils, Snotlout assuming he was the one who had did something to upset Poppy. "Hookfang….!" He growled at him, giving him a look that said 'Don't mess this up!'

Hookfang was pacing around and snorting, ignoring Snotlout, deciding to crawl away and lay down, seeming to be pouting.

"I-I'm sorry Snotlout," Minden apologized when Poppy seemed to calm down after making sure Minden was there to hold her, setting her down gently in her lap.

"No, no, don't be. I'm sure Hookfang was just playing too roughly….." Snotlout waved her off, sending another annoyed look at his dragon who only growled at him.

Minden relaxed when Poppy had settled, petting her smoothly, looking back up at him. "Anyways, you were saying?"

"Saying what?" Snotlout blinked at her.

"About your parents."

"Oh, oh, my-my-my parents?" Snotlout started to stutter again, chuckling nervously. "Oh uh, what-what what do you want to know about them?"

"Well, tell me more about them." Minden nodded casually, continuing to smile. "What are they like?"

Snotlout opened his mouth and then closed it, trying to get the words out of his mouth. "What are they like? Well uh, uh they're…..they're great! They are just great. I love them and it couldn't be better." He nervously grinned at her, gesturing wildly with his hands, shrugging.

Minden nodded as she listened. "Didn't you tell me your father was second-in-command to the chief? That must be great."

"He-He-He was! Yes!" Snotlout nodded hurriedly, talking rapidly. "Yeah, before Hiccup became chief, yeah it was great, he uh, he uh had some great ideas, he really did! Stoick didn't always listen but, they were great! He uh, he did his job well, heh heh….."

"Cool. And your mother?" Minden watched him, continuing to pet Poppy.

Snotlout relaxed a little, the tension in his shoulders diminishing. "My mother, ah, she-she's great." He was smiling now. "She's like the sweetest person you could ever meet. And her cooking….her pies are the best things I've ever eaten."

Minden chuckled softly with a smile, nodding at him. "She's sounds perfect. What does your father do now that he's not second-in-command anymore?"

Snotlout frowned and looked away, gesturing with his hands again as he spoke. "Oh ya know….he uh, helps around the house more. Sometimes he'll get asked to help Hiccup with things but most of the time he just helps scout the island and helps the A Team, ya know running errands and all." He rubbed nervously at the back of his neck, making sure he didn't blurt out the words he was really thinking: _he just gets to spend more time at home harassing me…_

Minden nodded slowly. "Is something wrong?"

Snotlout blinked, quickly looking at her. "Wrong? What's wrong? Nothing's wrong….."

"It's just…you seem nervous. Do you not want me to meet your parents?" Minden frowned softly at him, looking sincere. "Thi-This isn't because you think we're moving along too quickly, is it?"

"No! No no!" Snotlout quickly shook his head no, putting his hands up. "Of course not! I do want you to meet them Minden, I do. Nothing's wrong, not at all." He put on a fake smile for her, his missing tooth showing.

Minden nodded, but she couldn't help but wonder about Snotlout's sudden nervous behavior, not sure if it was because of her or not. "Okay Snotlout, I believe you." She got to her feet, setting Poppy down on the grass. "I just really want to meet your parents." She smiled softly.

"And you will." Snotlout stood up too, taking her hands in his. "We can leave first thing tomorrow morning. Okay?" He smiled softly at her, hoping he still didn't look as nervous as he felt.

Minden smiled softly at him, nodding. "Perfect."

* * *

Snotlout shifted uneasily in his saddle the entire flight home to Berk, trying not to make it obvious to Minden that he was nervous. Minden noticed though, but decided not to say anything, frowning softly at him as she and Poppy flew beside them.

Snotlout only was able to relax when Minden joined him in his saddle when Poppy got too tired and she put her hands on his waist, making his heart race a little, immediately blushing, his tension subsiding.

After the long flight and they were coming close, Snotlout spoke. "So uh, I was thinking we should go with the tour of the island first, ya know get that outta the way."

"Okay." Minden said softly, looking down below them at the sea. "And then we'll swing by your place, right?"

"Of course, of course!" Snotlout nodded hurriedly, grinning nervously since she couldn't see his face from behind.

Minden frowned a little at him, able to sense Snotlout's tension had returned. "I can't wait to meet them Snotlout…..and if you're nervous, don't be." She brought a hand to his shoulder now.

"Nervous?" Snotlout's nervous grin fell. "I-I'm not nervous….I just sound like this because I'm….excited! I'm just. So. Excited! Heh, heh…."

Minden frowned at him but didn't question him again, deciding it wasn't her place to pressure him and that she should wait until they got to Berk, hoping the reason Snotlout appeared so nervous wasn't because of her.

When they landed, Hookfang shook his head and stretched when Snotlout and Minden dismounted, rumbling lowly, watching Poppy who sniffed the air curiously, flying to Minden's back in her normal position.

"Okay, well, we're here!" Snotlout grinned at Minden, watching her. "What do you think?"

"It's a beautiful place, Snotlout." She was grinning. "And….dragons everywhere. You can tell Hiccup is the chief."

"Yeah, well, you know Hiccup. So uh, before I give you the tour I was thinking I should swing by the house quick and just tell my folks you're coming."

"Oh. Okay." Minden frowned a little. "They won't be upset with me coming unannounced on such short notice will they?"

"No, no, they won't mind." Snotlout shook his head no. "Mom will just have to make sure there's an extra plate for you. Do you mind waiting here with Hookfang? I'll be right back."

Minden glanced at Hookfang, crossing her arms over her chest, not cross with Snotlout, just a little confused about his behavior. "Alright."

"Great. Don't start the tour without me! And don't you dare talk to Eret Son of Eret!" Snotlout huffed at her as he started jogging off, heading off for his hut, glad he would be able to get there first by himself without Minden in tow.

* * *

"Mom?" Snotlout let himself in, looking around hurriedly, quickly spotting his mother cooking nearby. She turned to him with a smile, not expecting him to be back so soon. "Hi Snotty."

"Hi. Is Dad home?" He closed the door behind him, glancing around for his father a little anxiously, pursing his lips together.

Spitelout poked his head in from the other room, eyebrows raised. "What is it, boy-o?" He stated in a low voice, almost as a warning, letting Snotlout know he was there and that if he had something bad to share, he would be the one to take care of it.

"Oh. Hi Dad." Snotlout blinked at him, watching Spitelout come over. "I uh-"

"Why are ye back so early, son?" Spitelout gave him a narrowing look, pointing a finger. "Ye better not have done somethin' stupid to the lass or I swear-"

"Dad! No!" Snotlout frowned at him, putting his hands up. "No, nothing bad happened. Okay? Actually, I'm here to tell you that….Minden is here and she would like to meet you guys." He rocked on his toes a little nervously, glancing between them.

He was quite surprised when his parents both smiled and his father started laughing and actually hugged him, though it was more like squeezing the life out of him by hoisting him into the air, Snotlout's back and several ribs cracking painfully loud.

"Ha ha ha, that's me boy!" Spitelout beamed with his loud boisterous voice, ignoring Snotlout's yelps. "My son, with a beautiful lass! Oh, I'm so proud of you!"

He set Snotlout down on the floor and Snotlout held his back, looking up with a pained grin. "Th-Thanks, Dad." He smiled at his mother when she came over, putting a hand on his shoulder gently. "We're so proud of you, Snottty."

"Thanks, Mom."

"So, where is she?" Spitelout huffed, glancing around.

"She'll be here soon, imma give her a tour of the island first." Snotlout stated, stretching out his back.

"Ye mean I have to wait to meet me future daughter-in-law?" Spitelout threw his hands up in the air, seeming to pout, shaking his head.

"Spitelout….." June gave him a sort of amused look, shaking her head slightly.

"What? If me son brings home a beautiful girl than I want to meet her." He huffed with a shrug.

"You will, dad, you will." Snotlout assured him, cracking his back again as he managed to stand up straight. "Jus' wait."

"I'll get an extra plate of stew made." June nodded to herself, heading back over to her cooking.

"Okay. So she'll be here after awhile but uh, can you please not…embarrass me? I really like this girl." Snotlout wrung his fingers together, his pitch a little squeaky, avoiding looking at his father who was the one he was really worried about.

Spitelout started laughing loudly and punched his son playfully in the arm, unintentionally knocking Snotlout into the nearby wall. "Ha ha ha, oh son! Ye don't got to worry about that! Yer mum and I will be extra careful….." He was grinning, sending a smirk over in his wife's direction.

"Thank you." Snotlout breathed out, rubbing his arm. "Now you know what that means, right Dad? No embarrassing stories about me, okay? No stuff about when I was a baby, or when-"

"I get it, son, I get it," Spitelout chuckled at him, waving him off. "Nothin' embarrassin', I got it."

"Ye don't need to worry dear," June smiled at them. "I promise we won't embarrass ye."

"Thank you." Snotlout breathed out again, relieved. Having his entire life exposed and ruined in front of Minden was his main concern, completely worried she would leave him if she didn't like him or his parents.

And he especially didn't want her to find out about what happened between him and Spitelout all these years. It would kill him if she found out.

"Okay. I'll see you soon then." He glanced at his parents as he opened the door, watching them smile at each other. "Remember, no embarrassing of the Snot-man." He huffed at them as a final reminder.

Spitelout clasped his hands behind his back and shook his head no with a big smile as he rocked on his toes, looking like a little child nodding to his parents. "Ye got it son."

"Good luck with the tour, son!" June called out to him and Snotlout exhaled as he closed the door, hoping this wouldn't be an absolute disaster.

* * *

"And this here is the Great Hall, where Hiccup does all his Chiefly stuff and what-not." Snotlout waved a hand around distractedly as he spoke, admittedly a little bored and trying to extend this tour out as long as he could in order to avoid meeting up with his parents, still nervous about it.

Minden was at his side, smiling softly as she admired the buildings and places as they visited them. "It's very nice, Snotlout. I bet the whole village could fit in there….!"

"They can." Snotlout shrugged, glancing at some children who ran past them. "It's pretty cool and all, I mean for someone like Hiccup. If I was chief, it would be way cooler."

"Well you wouldn't really want to be chief now, would you Snotlout?" Minden blinked at him.

Snotlout pursed his lips together, shrugging. "A little. I mean, it would be so cool. And my dad, all he's wanted is for me to become chief. But Hiccup does a much better job than me anyways. But at least I get to be the leader of the Dragon Riders."

Minden smiled at him faintly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Indeed. It's a great honor, Snotlout. You should be proud. And you shouldn't need to be a Chief in order to impress your father."

Snotlout almost snorted at that, the words 'Tell that to him' nearly blurting out of his mouth before he caught himself, instead just managing a shrug, trying not to make it look obvious that he actually cared.

Minden cleared her throat after a momemt, standing up straighter. "So, ready to take me to your place now?"

Snotlout looked up, blinking. "My place? Oh well uh, we haven't visited the armory yet." He chuckled nervously with a shrug, giving her a matter-of-fact look.

Minden smirked at him with raised eyebrows. "Yes we did. You just showed it to me on the way over here. Come on, Snotlout, it's time for me to meet them."

Snotlout grinned a little sheepishly, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Right. Okay. Well, it's right this way." He cleared his throat, starting to lead her away, hoping she couldn't see how nervous and tense he was.

Before they got there, Snotlout cleared his throat again, glancing at her. "Um, before we get there, I just wanna say my parents are kind of…..embarrasssing, and um, I don't want them to-"

Minden started chuckling at him, shaking her head. "Don't worry, Snotlout. It'll be fine. You're forgetting that I have parents of my own too. I know what it's like." She smiled at him kindly.

Snotlout chuckled, wringing his fingers together nervously as they approached his hut. "Right, right. O-Okay." He bit his lip hard, making a prayer to Odin that his parents would spare him the humiliation of completely embarrassing him in front of his new girlfriend.

They walked up to his hut and Snotlout swallowed, reaching up a fist to knock, feeling like his heart was racing a mile a minute, his anxiety overpowering him.

After knocking, it sounded like there was yelling from inside and then loud shuffling, Snotlout glancing worriedly at Minden with his hands clasped nervously behind his back, almost jumping when the door whipped open, revealing the bearded face belonging to his father.

He was surprised to see Spitelout was smiling, beaming actually, extending his hands out happily, his booming loud guffaw of a laugh exploding from his mouth. "Ha ha ha, there they are! My son and the lovely Jorgenson to be." He was smiling at Minden kindly, taking in her appearance.

Minden smiled at him and seemed to blush, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hello ."

Spitelout laughed and waved his hands aside. "Oh, ha, jus' call me Spitelout, lass! Welcome to the family!" And then he hugged Minden tightly, much to Snotlout's surprise, though Minden herself didn't seem to mind, chuckling.

Snotlout cleared his throat softly. "Uh Dad, she's not really a part of the family yet…."

"Nonsense, boy-o." Spitelout huffed at him as he set Minden down gently, smiling at her. "We don't know how he did it, we didn't think it was possible, but just look at ye! Yer beautiful lass, we're so proud of you two!"

Minden was blushing a little, smiling kindly at him, glancing at Snotlout. "Thanks again, sir."

"Now quick, come inside you two," Spitelout waved them inside. "Yer mother's prepared extra food just for our special guest, boy-o."

Snotlout stepped in after Minden, raising a finger. "Uh, actually dad, I was thinking I should show Minden my room first, you know, make sure she's comfortable with the place."

Spitelout wrinkled his nose a little, shaking his head with a shrug, seeming much too eager to sit down and chat. "Mmm? If ye say so boy-o…."

June was setting a bowl of bread rolls out on the table, looking up at them with a smile. "Hello lass." She greeted Minden kindly, who smiled and gave her a wave. "Hello."

Snotlout gently grabbed Minden by the arm, urging her to come upstairs with him. "Come on, Mindo." He hushed lowly at her, her seeming a little surprised, turning to come after him, smiling happily.

"Your parents are great, Snotlout."

Snotlout swallowed, hurrying upstairs to his room with her, avoiding looking at her. "Yeah."

He led her to his room and opened up his door, bringing her inside, relieved to be away from his parents. "Well, here we are." He gestured with a nervous grin, glancing at her.

Minden smiled at the room as she began to look around, Poppy roaring softly from her backside as she took in all the new scents. "This is where you grew up? It's so nice, Snotlout."

Snotlout closed the door as he watched her go over to his bed, examining everything. "Yeah. It's been nice. When Dad's not home, Mom and I get the whole house to ourselves, which is great. But yeah, I like it here, I mean, it's what we've got." He shrugged, watching Minden brush a hand over what Spitelout called the 'Time-Out' Chair, making him internally cringe a little, still not wanting Minden to find out.

"It's very nice." Minden repeated with a smile, looking at the wooden toys and journals on Snotlout's shelves, admiring them. "Berk really seems like a great place." She turned to him, seeming to smile a little more, making him perk up hopefully.

"Really? You-You like it here?" He smiled softly at her, flinching a little when he heard his father's loud laughter echoing all the way from downstairs, quickly glancing back at her.

"I do, Snotlout." She nodded with a kind smile, coming over and taking his hands in hers, gazing into his beautiful blue eyes. "I think that-"

"Snotlout! Come on, lad, git down here!" His father shouted from downstairs, making Snotlout flinch again. He hated that his father was so loud. Glancing at Minden sheepishly, Snotlout bit his lip. "Uh, I think we better-"

"It's okay. I'm hungry anyways." Minden smiled softly at him, brushing some hair behind her ear, turning to follow him as he walked out.

As they walked back downstairs, Spitelout's loud laughter immediately greeted them. "Ha ha, there they are! Come over an' sit down, kids!"

Snotlout watched quizzatively as Minden went over and sat down, Spitelout pushing in her chair for her. "Thank you, sir." She smiled at him kindly.

"Oh aye, who's this?" Spitelout pointed at Poppy with a chuckle, seeming surprised, the baby dragon quickly sniffing his finger. Minden reached back for her, taking her off her back. "Oh, this is Poppy. I hope you don't mind I brought her in, sir."

"Oh that's quite alright," Spitelout chuckled, taking Poppy and setting her on the floor. "She's not a problem. She's a beauty of a dragon, lass." He dished up some chicken into a bowl, setting it on the ground in front of Poppy, patting her head with a smile. Poppy wobbled along on her feet slowly, letting out a tiny roar as she sniffed.

Minden smiled at him as she watched. "Thank you, sir." Snotlout was watching with a soft frown, coming over and sitting next to her, a little weirded out by his father being so nice, it being such an odd thing to see. Minden smiled at him, giving Snotlout a look that said, 'This is going so well!' but Snotlout didn't really catch it, giving her a nervous grin, starting to dish up his food.

Spitelout sat down across from them and June set out the last of the tankards. "So lassie," Spitelout snatched up a large chicken leg with his bare hands. "What do you think of our boy?"

Snotlout swallowed and went rigid a little, glancing worriedly at Minden, who smiled softly at him with a chuckle. "He's great, sir."

"He better be." Spitelout huffed, taking a large bite of his meat, gesturing with it at his son. "You are his first girlfriend ye know."

"Dad!" Snotlout instantly snapped at him a little with a whine, wide-eyed, embarrassed.

"What? She needs to know these things." Spitelout huffed, still gesturing with his chicken.

Minden was chuckling softly, much to Snotlout's dismay. "It's quite alright. Snotlout is great. You must be so proud of him."

Spitelout started laughing and June smiled from her seat warmly, looking pleased. Snotlout cringed at his father's laughter, taking a nervous bite of bread. "Of course we are, lassie! He's _my_ son!"

"We're so proud of our little Snotty-" Snotlout flinched from the nickname with embarrassment, glancing up at his mother with a frown. "and we're so glad you two met. You live at a place called Wingmaiden Island, correct?"

"Yes." Minden nodded with a smile, gesturing to herself. "I'm a Wingmaiden and we take care of Razorwhips there, like Poppy." She glanced down at her beloved baby dragon who was currently nibbling some meat off of her chicken bone.

"That sounds so great, lass." June smiled at her kindly, eating peacefully, glancing between everyone with kind eyes, enjoying the extra guest's company. "You must really enjoy it there."

"Oh I do, Miss, I really do." Minden was quick to nod. "I just wish it wasn't so far away from here." She shared a glance with Snotlout, who blinked at her, opening his mouth to speak and then closed it, too embarrassed and tense to speak now, looking away.

June nodded, clearing her throat softly. "Snotlout dear, you sure are quiet tonight. Nothing to say?"

Snotlout glanced at her and then opened his mouth, his father's loud laughter interrupting him, quickly closing it again.

"That's a first!" Spitelout practically shouted, his voice so loud it felt like the walls were shaking. "Why when he was a babe, he never knew how to shut up, ha ha!"

"Dad….!" Snotlout hissed, glancing at Minden, but Spitelout ignored him.

"Cryin' and cryin' all the time, he never stopped! Loudest thing I ever heard!"

Snotlout chewed and swallowed his chicken with embarrassment, sinking further into his chair, holding back a groan, staring hard at his food.

"Funny how such a wee thing could be so loud, am I right, dear?!" Spitelout was still laughing.

Snotlout's eyebrows were deeply furrowed and he glanced up when he heard Minden chuckling softly, frowning when she smirked softly at him, quickly looking away.

"He was such a wee thing. And so fussy. We thought he'd never stop crying." Now June was speaking, smiling softly at her husband who nodded along with her.

"Mom." Snotlout gave his mother a look, showing her he wasn't pleased, upset that his parents broke their promise of 'not embarrassing him.'

Spitelout was still waving and gesturing his chicken leg around, nodding. "Aye. And as a child, it only kept goin'. Cryin' and cryin', how old were you son, when you finally quit? Eight? Nine?"

"You know what, how-how about we stop talking about me and talk about somethin' else, okay?" Snotlout chuckled out through clenched teeth, giving his parents irritated looks. "You know Minden is basically the second-in-command to Atali. She can order other people around and take charge."

"Ahhhh, a leader." Spitelout started to smirk, gesturing with his chicken at Minden. "I love that in a girl. Perfect for our boy. He's the leader of them Dragon Riders ye know….." He smirked proudly, winking at Snotlout.

"Yes I know." Minden smiled happily with a nod. "He's a great leader. I nearly quit the Wingmaidens once but Snotlout helped me understand what was really important." She beamed at Snotlout with admiration as she spoke, Snotlout looking up in awe and surprise, touched.

"That's our boy." June smiled happily, looking proudly at Spitelout, who nodded as he took a large bite of his chicken. "Aye!"

"But yes, we are very happy together." Minden smiled kindly with a nod. "But tell me more about your lives. Spitelout," She had to pause to make sure she said Spitelout and not Snotlout, so used to only the original name of her boyfriend. "Snotlout tells me you were second-in-comand to the chief….?"

"Ah ha ha ha, yes! I was!" Spitelout boomed with laughter, Snotlout glaring at him for being so loud. "Perfect job it was! Ol' Stoick an' I grew up together. Personally I thought I should be chief, I mean, I would have done a much better job; it's what me father wanted after all. But second-in-command is just as good I guess. I had me thrills. It was fun. Stoick said sometimes I didn't know what I was doin' and that I shoulda been more careful but I nearly burnt down the village only once!" He huffed, shaking his head. "No matter. As long as no one knows to mess with the ol' second-in-command to the chief himself, I'm good."

"Spitelout thought for sure our little Snotty would grow up to be chief but that Hiccup turned out to be quite the prodigy." June was smiling, Snotlout frowning at her a little, wishing she'd stop saying his nickname already.

"Aye, the moment I laid my eyes on him, I thought, 'yep, my boy's gonna be chief,'" Spitelout declared, glancing at Snotlout proudly. "But of course, Snotlout turned out to be much more….mmm, delicate."

"Dad. I'm not delicate." Snotlout glared at him, sitting up in his chair apprehensively. "I'm jus' fragile that's all." He murmured.

Minden smirked softly at them, watching. "Well I think Snotlout's great just the way he is." She declared with a proud smile, eyes twinkling at Snotlout who looked a little surprised.

"Ach, he is now. When he was a child we didn't know what to think. You were such a handful, son." Spitelout smirked at him, started to chuckle. "He was so clumsy, still is too, we were always so worried he'd hit his head when he'd fall down that we didn't think we could leave him well enough alone."

"Okay dad, we get it." Snotlout drawled at him with an annoyed look, irritated. Why did everything involve embarrassing him?

"An' growing up he was fine, that wasn't a problem, but now, oh he's so tiny!" Spitelout was laughing loudly. "Shortest wee thing I ever saw!"

"Dad!" Snotlout snapped at him angrily with narrowed eyes, losing his patience with him, beyond embarrassed, thinking Minden was going to think of him as a laughing stock.

Spitelout didn't look that sorry, continuing to chuckle, still gesturing with his chicken meat. "It's true son."

Snotlout practically growled at him, glaring down at his plate, picking up his drink. "Can we please just talk about something else?" He seethed.

"Alrighty. So Minden, lass, do ye want to have kids?"

Snotlout immediately spat out the water he was drinking, sputtering and coughing, going red in the face. "DAAADDD!"

Minden looked a little surprised too, caught off guard, not expecting that question so soon.

"What?" Spitelout huffed with a snort. "It's a valid question, son. This is my grandchildren we're talkin' about here!"

"Uh dear," June took his hand softly with pursed lips. "I think it's a little early to be discussing that. After all, we've only jus' met the lass."

"Nonsense!" Spitelout huffed through a mouthful of potatoes. "Tell us, lass, do ya?"

Minden swallowed and cleared her throat a little, glancing at Snotlout who was still coughing to catch his breath. "Well….yes, I would like to have kids at some point. Snotlout and I really haven't talked about that yet though."

"Well, lass, when you and my son are ready to have children you let me know." Spitelout huffed. "I can't wait to be a grandfather. And June here, she'll make all the furs and tunics and boots for ye. She's the best at stitchin'; she helps make all the furs and tunics for the entire village. She made all of Snotlout's when he was born, she'll gladly do the same for you two." He declared proudly, smiling.

"Th-Thank you, sir." Minden licked her lips softly, a little pink in the face. "That's very kind. I-I'll keep that in mind."

"Great." Spitelout chirped happily with a wide smile. "I do hope you two will have boys together; I can't wait to spend time with me little grandsons!"

"Dad, _please_ …..?" Snotlout pleaded at his father with a whine, completely embarrassed, eyes big. He felt like rushing upstairs to his room, unable to take any of this humiliation much longer. He didn't even dare look at Minden, horrified by what she must be thinking of him.

"Alright Spitelout, that's enough dear." June stated softly at her husband, much to Snotlout's relief, watching her take his father's hand in her's.

"Oh alright," Spitelout muttered with a sort of grumble. "We'll jus' talk about Snotlout's childhood some more. Why when he was a lad he-"

"You know what, I can't take this anymore," Snotlout snapped angrily, pushing himself out of his chair, hurrying out the front door, his face scrunched up in embarrassment, eyes glossy.

He heard his father growling at him to come back and finish his supper but Snotlout ignored him, walking out and slamming the door shut behind him, stepping outside to let out a huge breath, pinching the bridge of his temple, feeling himself shaking a little as he began to pace.

It didn't surprise him when Minden came out after him. "Hey, what's the matter?" She sounded soft and concerned.

Snotlout paced around and glanced at her, opening his mouth and then closing it, shaking his head, unable to speak, his heart tight and clenched, making his chest hurt. He hated his anxieties.

"Snotlout, what's wrong?" Minden watched him, frowning softly, not understanding why he would be upset.

Snotlout tried to recollect himself, turning away from her. "Nothin'." He huffed, trying to appear as if he was fine. "I just….can't stand my parents sometimes." He didn't want to say hate because he didn't hate both of them, he loved his mother. It was his father who was the real trouble.

Minden still didn't understand, watching Snotlout closely. "I like your parents." She said softly, putting her hands on her hips. "Is this just because I'm here? You don't think I'm-"

"No, no, it's not you, I mean, it kinda is, I-I dunno." Snotlout stuttered, pinching the bridge of his temple, exhaling with embarrassment, shaking still. "Look, it-it's not you, Mindo, it's just my parents, okay? I-I just' wasn't sure if you should meet them." He admitted honestly, turning to face her with a sincere expression.

Minden frowned softly at him, watching him. "Why not?" She lowered her hands from her hips.

"Because," Snotlout breathed out. "They embarrass me….! And they're jus' so…..you know, and my father's so-" He stopped and turned away, trying to hide his face, making sure he didn't blurt out the words, clenching his fist tightly, exhaling deeply.

Minden's eyes studied him, seeing how innocent Snotlout looked, sensing there was something wrong, as if he was in need of confessing a secret or a lie, looking troubled. Gently she brought an arm to his shoulder and lowered him down softly, sitting on the grass with him.

"Snotlout….." That was all she said, allowing him the chance to explain.

Snotlout was having a hard time keeping his composure, his chest hurting, face scrunched up, letting out a shaky breath. "M-Minden, I have to tell you something." He said lowly, very quietly.

Minden swallowed softly, watching him. "Alright."

Snotlout took in another deep breath, his heart racing. "My father…he actually used to beat me. He still does. For everything." He was talking very slowly, struggling to control himself. "He-He doesn't respect me. He's like a monster." Snotlout put his head into his hands, a deep frown etched on his face.

Minden's mouth was open now, eyes wide, quiet for a moment, swallowing hard. "Snotlout, I-I had no idea."

"It's okay." Snotlout sighed out, staring at the blades of grass in front of them. "He just drives me crazy; this has been going on my entire life. You have no idea what it's like having to constantly look over your shoulder and to get punished for something that wasn't even your fault. That-That's why I was so worried about you meeting my parents, Mindo, I was so afraid you would find out about my father and think that I would grow up to be the same way to our children and then you wouldn't want to be with me anymore and I-"

Snotlout swallowed hard, looking right into her teal eyes, completely being serious and honest with her. "I-I can't lose you Minden." He breathed out shakily. "I really like you, probably even love you and if I lost you because of my father yet again ruining my life, I couldn't live with myself. You, my friends, my mother and Hookfang are the only things I've got in life and I just can't lose you guys. If it weren't for you and them, I wouldn't even be here now, and it's all because of my father. It's like he controls my life."

Minden was quiet a moment, swallowing, feeling concern for Snotlout, yet she felt touched. Gently, she reached over and took his hand in her's. "Snotlout. I'm really glad you told me. It must have been really hard for you to share something like that."

Snotlout looked at her hopefully, loving that she was so beautiful and kind to him. "It was. Nobody else even really knows, except Hookfang. I just, I want you to know Minden, that if you do stay with me and we grow up to have a family together…." He looked her straight in the eye, giving her hand a hard squeeze. "I am not going to end up like my father. Not ever."

Minden gave a small nod, the corners of her lips perking into a soft smile. "I know you won't, Snotlout. You're not like him. And I want you to know-" She smiled and put both hands around his. "I'm not going to leave you over something like this. I love you." She kissed his cheek gently, brushing a soft hand through his bangs which made him look up.

"I love everything about you. And I hope we stay together for the rest of our lives and have children together and do everything possible to please your father. I promise... _Snotty_." She smiled fondly at him at the nickname, Snotlout smiling a little too with a soft chuckle, loving her comforting, admittedly glad he had told her, not expecting her to take it so well.

"So….you're not going to leave me or anything? You still like me even though I have pretty much insane parents?" He looked at her hopefully, his spirits lifted.

"Yes, Snotlout, I still love you, you don't have to worry." Minden was smiling at him softly, giving his shoulder a little nudge. "I am a little surprised though….your father seems so nice." She admitted.

Snotlout looked away, shrugging, shaking his head a little. "I guess. When he's in a good mood he's fine but you know…once it starts he…" His voice drifted off, making the implication.

Minden nodded along with him. "I understand, Snotlout." She said softly. "You should also know, I don't respect you any less now. And you should know that telling me helps make you stronger. Right?"

"Yeah, I-I do feel kinda better." Snotlout glanced at her with a soft smile, offering a nod. "Thanks for being so understanding, Minden."

"Of course. And besides, I think we're a lot closer to each other now." She smirked at him.

"Yeah." Snotlout smiled at her with a nod, glancing off at the clouds happily. "So uh, you do wanna have kids someday huh?" He smirked at her, making her blush a little.

"Yes." She nodded. "You do too, huh?"

"Of course. Our kids would be awesome! Mudlout and Poutlout!"

Minden's eyebrows raised, laughing softly. "Okay, we'll work on the names."

Snotlout shrugged a little, chuckling softly as he glanced away, jumping when he heard the door burst open behind them.

"Excuse me, lassie, but could you get this wee dragon devil off me arm already?!" Spitelout burst out with a growl, jerking his arm around in an attempt to get Poppy off him, the baby dragon growling and wriggling around, her teeth latched onto his flesh.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Minden got up with a sort of embarrassed look, coming over and taking Poppy off him, who released him as soon as she felt Minden's touch, nuzzling into her with a purr. Minden smiled softly at her and stepped back from Spitelout, admittedly a little weary of him now after what Snotlout had told her.

Spitelout huffed, rubbing at his arm. "Ach, hey, son, quit yer gossipin' and get back in there an' finish your supper! Yer mother worked hard to cook you that food…." He growled, pointing a finger at Snotlout, eyes narrowed coldly.

Minden flinched a little at the sternness in his voice, glancing at Snotlout beside her, holding onto Poppy tightly. "Yes Dad, in a minute okay?" Snotlout sighed out tiredly.

"In a wee minute, hmmm?" Spitelout mocked him in a high-pitched voice with a sneer. "Make it quick!" He snapped, turning to go back inside, slamming the door shut. Snotlout sighed when he was gone, slouching a little.

"Well, I see what you mean, Snotlout." Minden said softly, nuzzling Poppy. "I guess I wouldn't have believed it if you hadn't told me."

"Well trust me, if you woulda stuck around long enough, you woulda found out." Snotlout sighed again. "Let's just go back inside, okay?"

"Alright. And Snotlout? Thanks again."

"No Minden. Thank you." Snotlout gave her a sincere nod, his voice low and serious. "I really owe you one. And that stuff you were saying earlier?" He leaned forward a little, starting to smirk, turning his voice into a whisper. "I love you too."

He smiled and turned to go inside, Minden's cheeks going pink as she beamed at him, following after him, closing the door behind them softly, greeted once again with Spitelout's booming laughter, taking Snotlout's hand in hers as the two of them sat down together, bracing themselves for what lay ahead.

 **A/N: Okay guys, once again, i'm turning to you for ideas/advice. A few chapters ago I had mentioned an idea I had for a post HTTYD 3 fic about Grimmel returning...(check out Chap.9 for more details on this) and I was a little disappointed I only received one suggestion from Calvin, who did give me a very good idea, thank you. But I would kind of like more options and inspiration, if you know what I mean, as a variety. Obviously this one story will be very in depth and complex and will have to be very well written. I was even considering co-authoring with someone for this particular chap. but even with a new variety of ideas and options, I think I can do it. So hopefully you guys can help me out here by loaning an idea? It would really help me out for my writing. Again, go back to Chap. 9 to read the details and let me know what you think...thanks, y'all are amazing and I love all the support. :)**


	14. Rescue Me

**Rescue Me**

 **A/N: Just thought i'd post this first chunk of the story just to get it out there and let everyone know i'm still alive, heh heh. I'd like to give special thanks to PutMoneyInThyPurse for giving me ideas for this story and for being an awesome writer and person in general!**

 _ **A/N: Post HTTYD 3. Grimmel returns to New Berk to enact his revenge on Hiccup. Who can stop him? Frankly, not Snotlout or anybody. Not without some help. Still a Snotlout-Centered Fic. Graphic abuse and torture ahead.**_

 **A/N: Not sure how great this is, personally I feel it is lacking but y'all can be the judge of that once you read it. And leaving a comment afterwards would be great too!**

It was quiet. Too quiet.

The only sounds that could be heard were the waves crashing against the side of the boat and a few birds that circled up above.

Snotlout glanced up at them with a frown, wishing they were dragons instead, longing to once again hear the familiar sounds of wing beats along with the hums and purrs of the reptiles everyone had learned to love.

He closed his eyes shut a minute, gripping the oars tighter as he rowed, thinking of Hookfang again. He took in a deep breath, heart aching a little, missing his beloved brother of a dragon, wishing he were still here.

He knew that when Hookfang had left with the others to go to the Hidden World that it was for the best for him, but that didn't mean Snotlout wanted him to go. He shook his head as he brought his attention back to the sea, trying to think of something else for a change.

There was a cool breeze that ruffled his hair around, the twenty-one year old continuing to row against the up and down waves of the sea, humming a little at an attempt for a distraction.

Hiccup had sent him out on a trip to the neighboring island to make peace with them, the Chief too busy to do it himself, Snotlout eagerly offering to do the task for him, desperate for a chance to get away from his pestering father and to do anything to keep his mind off of Hookfang. He had insisted he go by himself, certain he could get the job done right, not needing the aid of anybody else he had boasted, Hiccup finally giving in to his wishes, sending him forward.

Now, about a week later, Snotlout was returning, new heaps and baskets of furs and fish on deck from their new neighbors, as a gift and peace offering.

He couldn't wait to set foot on dry land again, sick of being in a boat for so long, admittedly wanting to be back home, even if it meant putting up with his parents with his father's constant nagging.

 _If the dragons were still here, I wouldn't even be in this stupid boat. I coulda gotten this done in two days if I had Hooky still._

Snotlout pursed his lips together, cursing himself for thinking of the Nightmare again, reminding himself not to. He tried to sing a little, wanting any kind of distraction.

"I killed my first boar when I was just a boy….." He started, perking up a little with a smile as he remembered singing the song to Garffiljorg, or Garff as they had called him, back on the Edge with Hookfang three years ago.

"Ah yak-dung," Snotlout cringed, eyebrows furrowing at the remembrance of his dragon again. "Can we get there already?" He spoke aloud, getting impatient and a little hungry.

He hoped his cousin would have a little 'Welcome Home' feast prepared for him, feeling like he very much deserved one.

It seemed to take hours before he came close to the island they now called home, relaxing a little.

But then Snotlout sat up straighter as he looked closer, squinting. "What the-?"

He spotted ships anchored all around the island, surrounding the land completely, the ships massive and huge, there appearing to be hundreds of them.

Snotlout's eyes went wide and he felt his mouth drop open, suddenly worry-struck, heart dropping into his stomach, staring at these ships, rowing faster.

As he got closer, he eyed the insignias on the sails, not recognizing them. But they seemed familiar. Immediately, Snotlout knew that whoever these strangers were, they were not allies and his people were in trouble. His cousin is in trouble, his parents are in trouble, his friends are in trouble. Even he knew he was in trouble.

Snotlout kept rowing, trying his best to stay out of sight of all the ships as he slunk past them, but it appeared all the ships were empty, not a voice to be heard or a face to be seen. Snotlout swallowed hard, knowing everyone must be on land, doing Gods knows what to his people.

Indeed, as he continued to come close, nearing the docks now, he could hear yelling from above, indicating that whoever was up there was causing trouble or was in trouble.

Snotlout's eyes going narrow, he grabbed his hammer as soon as he had tied the boat off to the dock, darting off to get some answers, seeing nobody around yet, but the yelling voices were getting louder.

Snotlout continued to race up the path to the top of the island, gasping when he saw men coming down towards him, darting behind a barrel before he could be spotted, panting as he listened to them speak as they passed.

He peeked his eyes out at them, seeing them carrying weapons and dressed in armor, already appearing hostile. They certainly weren't Berkians.

Snotlout felt his lips curl at the sight of them, making sure they were gone before he started running again, gripping the handle of his hammer tightly, heart racing, hoping he wasn't too late to save his friends and family, expecting to see a war before him.

It felt like forever before he made it to the top of the island, that path being anything but short, Snotlout making sure he stayed unseen, immediately gasping at everything before him, horrified.

He didn't even recognize the place. Soldiers were everywhere and piles of ash and rubble lay where huts and buildings had been burned to the ground, the rest luckily being spared.

There were huge cages, leftover dragon cages as it appeared, only these cages now imprisoned humans, crammed together behind bars, looking terrible. The others that weren't imprisoned were kept in a straight line, all chained and shackled together, soldiers hollering at them, barking orders harshly as they forced them to move along.

Peering down over the side of a barrel, Snotlout gaped, wide-eyed, overstricken with horror, frightened.

Other soldiers were setting fire to another hut while others shoved people carelessly into cages, a few men snatching up crying, flailing children and carelessly tossing them inside.

Snotlout gasped as he saw this, clenching his fist tightly in fury, feeling his blood broil, lifting his hammer a little, wanting to attack right then and there. Luckily he reminded himself that it would be one against 1,000 and he didn't exactly like those odds.

Shaking, Snotlout searched the imprisoned and enslaved Berkians for a familiar face, half-heartedly praying to spot his parents or his friends, needing to know if they were alright.

He recognized the villagers by face and name, but not anyone of his gang or family name and his anxiety crawled up his chest with every passing second that he didn't see them.

He spotted Gustav with his little brother chained together in the long line of helpless Vikings but no Fishlegs or Astrid or Ruff or Tuff or any of them.

He kept looking and finally spotted someone of his family name, but it wasn't his father or his mother. It was Snotlout's Great Uncle Hedgelout, who, like the others, was getting shouted at and forced to stay in line as they were assumably led to their doomed fate, shackled.

At the sight of seeing one of his blood relatives chained up and treated like some sort of enslaved wild animal sent tremors down Snotlout's spine, angered yet terrified all at once, unable to believe this was happening.

He wondered when these invaders had even came, he had only left about a week ago.

He flinched as he saw more Soldiers drag villagers from their homes, knocking men down and hitting women in the face, cussing and screeching at them like tyrants.

Gaping, Snotlout's shoulders sunk, wondering who in Valhalla would dare do this to innocent people, to be so cruel and evil to the innocent.

He then spotted three soldiers coming near as they seemed to ignore everything going on around them, talking to one another, Snotlout straightening when he realised he actually recognized them.

It was three of the Warlords he and the other Riders had dealt with before, during the fiasco with Grimmel the Grisly. Snotlout's eyebrows immediately furrowed at them, wishing to lash out and kill them right at that very instant.

But they were talking and Snotlout thought it might be useful to try and listen to what they were saying, though he didn't know any one of their names.

"Fifty more have been loaded and the island's been searched. Everyone's accounted for."

"You're sure of that, Ragnar? Everything has to be done right, we cannot fail. We will not be defeated again."

"Of course not, Griselda," The last of the three spoke. It was Chaghatai, who smirked. "How could these half-wits beat us with no dragons to help them?"

Snotlout frowned at that, flinching a little.

"These Hooligans wouldn't get far even if they tried. Besides, once Grimmel's made up his mind, he'll sell everyone off in the slave trade, do away with the Chief and be through of this place."

Snotlout felt his heart stop.

Grimmel?

This was Grimmel's doing?

The man was still alive? And he had Hiccup?

Oh Hell no. Not if he could help it. He wasn't going to let anything happen to his cousin, or anybody else. He couldn't let anybody become someone's slave or let anyone get killed.

He needed to stop them and fast.

And that meant finding Hiccup. Now.

Bracing himself, Snotlout gripped his hammer tighter and made sure he wasn't seen before he started darting off in hopes of finding his cousin, doing his best to avoid being caught by the hundreds of Soldiers everywhere, keeping crouched low to the ground, using barrels and crates to hide himself.

He tried to think of where Hiccup could be, knowing he must be imprisoned somewhere. The rest of the gang must be with him too, including Astrid. Snotlout knew he had to find them.

Passing by soldiers and guards, still hidden, he looked around, hoping to see where his cousin might be, glaring at an angry guard terrorizing , kicking the man down from behind, quickly darting off before he could be seen.

The island being so large, it seemed to take forever before Snotlout found the building that he assumed Hiccup was being held captive in, being more heavily guarded than any other place.

Sneaking up as he remained crouched down, Snotlout then wondered how he would get inside, unsure of how he could get past all these guards. _If I had Hookfang with, this wouldn't be a problem_ , he thought to himself with a scowl, wishing his hot-tempered friend were here to help him.

He glanced back at the shackled Villagers who had no idea he was there either, trying to come up with something or someone as a distraction. He tried searching for his father, knowing he could be very useful right now, but Snotlout didn't see him, which only increased his worry for his parents, praying to Thor they were alright.

Wracking his brain for an plan, Snotlout thought furiously, the idea finally dawning on him, glancing around once again, searching for a guard he could take out without being seen. Crouching down, he creeped along as he kept his eyes on an unsuspecting guard marching along, Snotlout watching and waiting anxiously to jump him.

When the moment came, he acted quickly, slamming his hammer against the back of the man's head, knocking the man down and out instantly. Making sure no one saw, Snotlout grabbed him and dragged him behind some barrels, beginning to remove some of the man's armor, putting it on himself.

Reluctantly he removed his helmet and put the guard's on instead, taking in a deep breath as he swiped a dagger from the man, figuring he might need it later.

Snotlout gave the unconscious man's side a kick with a glare when he was done, clenching his fists as he stepped out into the open, hoping the disguise would work. He held the guard's spear up firmly to mimic the others, glancing at them as they passed, trying to listen to their murmuring.

"These Berkians…..what a bunch of-too easy."

"Grimmel will surely-"

Snotlout felt his eyes go narrow, holding back a growl as he followed behind them, trying not to make his presence too obvious but luckily it appeared that he still hadn't be spotted, or at least recognized.

Remaining on high alert, he began to walk for the building where his cousin was being held, eyeing the guards ahead of him wearily, biting the inside of his cheek hard, trying to contain his anxiety.

 _Just get inside, just get inside_ , he told himself over and over, shaking a little.

The guards ahead of him were making their way past the others and were heading inside and Snotlout felt his spirits lift a little, remaining close behind them so it wouldn't appear so odd for him to walk in alone.

He could feel a few of the guard's eyes on him but he hurried inside before any of them could say anything, jumping a little when the doors closed loudly behind him, gulping softly.

 _Well at least i'm inside…_.He reminded himself with relief, glancing around at the eeriness of the halls, already feeling creeped out. Knowing Grimmel could be right down one of these hallways didn't help him feel better either.

Snotlout eyed the three guards ahead of him, looking around, trying to figure out some answers.

This building, which used to be their Great Hall, was now unrecognizable, having been constructed into what appeared to be a dungeon, no tables or chairs anywhere to be found, instead everything leading down tunnels and halls that presumably was where Grimmel was keeping his captors.

Snotlout gulped and slowly began to head down one of the tunnels, his senses on high alert, trying to look for a familiar face, hear a familiar voice, smell the all-too familiar aroma of Ruffnut's fish hair or the undeniable squeak of Hiccup's prosthetic leg.

Down the dark, gloomy halls were closed doors, one after another with bars instead of windows at the top. They were unguarded, surprisingly, but hurrying past, Snotlout couldn't hear anything, unsure if anyone was inside or if they were, that they were alive.

An unchilling feeling ran down his spine and he shivered, gulping hard as he continued to search for his friends, hoping he wasn't just carelessly passing them, not wanting to leave anyone behind, not even Fishlegs.

He tried to peer through the bars of the doors to search for anyone of them but he was too short to reach through the top and look so he just moved along, eyes narrowed, wondering how long he would have to keep going before he saw anyone, even if that someone was Grimmel.

If it is, Snotlout knew he would kill the man right then and there no matter what, wanting the cruel man to suffer for what he's done, wanting the man dead and rotting in Hell.

Rounding a corner, Snotlout suddenly heard voices, going still, carefully peering over the side of the wall to see.

"Oh ho ho, careful now, she's got a feisty spirit!"

"Don't tangle with her, ha ha!" Two guards were standing before one of the doors, clearly enjoying themselves, making Snotlout's eyes going narrow, cursing them for daring to taunt a prisoner, a woman, ready to take them out right then and there.

"I swear, when I get outta here, i'm going to cut you to pieces! You won't win!"

Snotlout's jaw dropped and his eyes went wide at the voice, every muscle in his body tightening. He said the name before he could even stop himself.

"Astrid!"

Immediately, his eyes went narrow and he lept out in fury, swinging his hammer at the closest guard with a war cry, knocking the man straight to the ground.

"Wha-"

"Hey, you-"

Growling, Snotlout didn't hesitate to swing at the other, blocking the man's axe, kicking the man down instantly, knocking the other guy getting up with his hammer again, doing the same to the other when he tried to attack, making sure they were both unconscious before he fumbled for a key from one's pocket, breathing heavily. "Astrid!"

"Snotlout?!" She sounded shocked, surprised and relieved, which was an unusual sound for him to hear coming from her.

Snotlout raced to the door immediately and jabbed the key into the lock, bursting through when it was unlocked, looking for her expectantly with huge eyes. "Astrid!"

There Astrid stood before him, her arms chained behind her to the wall to keep her from moving, otherwise free-standing. She didn't look too bad off, certainly not with the look of determination and anger in her eyes, but her face was a little beaten up and she looked a little rugged.

"Thank Thor you're here!" She exclaimed, clearly ready to get free, and Snotlout knew it was cause she wanted to get to Hiccup. He did too.

Seeing the chains imprisoning his friend, Snotlout bounced on his feet, darting back to the guards and swiping the fallen axe for himself, racing over and slicing straight through the chains with the blades, the sound extremely loud and echoing, making them both flinch. Nevertheless, they both were bouncing on their feet, anxious and ready to get the Hell out of there.

"Astrid, when did this happen?! How?!" He exclaimed, looking her over hurriedly in an attempt for an answer, relieved and glad to be in her presence, already feeling so much better.

"Grimmel! He showed up two days ago! He's got Hiccup, quick, come on!" Astrid rushed, already running out, Snotlout right behind her, fists clenched tightly, ready to fight.

He didn't know if Grimmel had harmed his cousin or not but he knew if he had, the man would soon be a dead man for sure.

Astrid seemed to know exactly where to go, taking off running, Snotlout making sure to stay right behind her, darting around corners and going down hallway after hallway and with every step he ran, he was getting more and more anxious to see his cousin.

Suddenly they heard voices and Snotlout heard himself gasp, him and Astrid stopping in their tracks, seeing guards appear ahead of them.

"They've escaped! Get them!"

"Quick, Snotlout!" Astrid shouted at him, reaching an arm back in front of him, something he took as an act of protection.

Reaching back for his hammer on instinct, Snotlout saw Astrid had no weapon, but quickly realized that didn't faze her as she already raced forward to take on the closest approaching guard, quickly taking out another.

Snotlout was wide-eyed at all the approaching guards, quickly realizing there were too many. "Astrid, there are too many! We have to get out of here!" He shouted, slamming his hammer into the closest guard's jaw.

"No! We have to get Hiccup free first!" Astrid shouted with a growl, slamming a guard straight up against the wall hard, other guards coming up behind her.

Snotlout tensed and quickly hurried over, taking them out for her with a glare, huffing, getting back to back with her as they fought them off. "Astrid, we can't take them all, you need to get out of here!"

"I'm not going anywhere!" Astrid shouted as she took on two guards.

"Astrid, if anyone can save Hiccup, it's you! It won't do us any good to rescue him if we both get captured! We need to regroup anyways, figure out a plan!" Snotlout huffed, punching a short, chubby guard in the face, elbowing another.

"I'm not just going to leave you here!" This time Astrid sounded worried and Snotlout continued to yell, knowing that if anyone could save Hiccup, it was her, not him. As much as he would like to, even he knew he couldn't save Hiccup by himself; he'd screw things up for sure. The best thing to do is to at least get Astrid to safety and figure out a plan.

"Just go! I'll be right behind you!" He shouted, seeing the rest of the guards had nearly been taken out by now, figuring he could take on the rest, knocking away another guard who tried to grab him.

"Okay, see you out there!" Astrid shouted and knocked her guard into the wall, taking a run for it down the hall back the way they had came.

"She's getting away! After her! Don't let her escape!" One of the guards instantly shouted and Snotlout growled, running over and knocking the man down with his hammer, huffing, frowning when he saw two guards taking off down the hall after Astrid.

His eyes narrowed and he tensed but knew Astrid could take them, figuring he'd better take out the rest of the guards here and then go after her.

He turned to face the last group of remaining guards, raising his hammer above him to attack, giving them the stink eye, scowling. "Don't mess with the Snotman, Dragon Trappers!"

Quickly he swung and took out one, dodging one swinging his axe at him, sidestepping to swing again, smirking when he easily knocked out another.

"Ha! Too easy!" He laughed, raising his hammer to swing again, enjoying himself. "I'm going to-" Snotlout cut short as he felt his hammer disappear from his hands, turning to see one of the guards had taken it from him, giving Snotlout an amused look.

Snotlout held his breath, suddenly knowing he was vulnerable without having a weapon, wide-eyed. "Uh oh….."

Acting quickly, he dashed aside as one of the guards leapt for him, Snotlout gasping as he hurried to scramble away, punching one of the guards blocking his path, suddenly feeling someone grab his arm, yanking him back.

Snotlout yelped a little and whipped around to punch the man but another guard grabbed his arm and held him back, both men restraining the boy, who quickly began to squirm and kick.

"Let go of me!" He snarled, elbowing at one of them, growling when they only tightened their grips and pushed him down, keeping his arms held back behind him, Snotlout kicking his feet desperately, jerking around.

But the guards were holding onto him tightly and pushing on him, practically squeezing his arms, Snotlout beginning to grow tired of struggling, panting, yelping and staggering on his feet when someone grabbed his hair and yanked harshly.

The man pulled his head up, Snotlout whimpering faintly at the pain and going still, flinching as his hair was practically being pulled out of his scalp, breathing heavily, cussing himself out for being so stupid to let himself get caught.

"You're going to see Grimmel." One of the guards hissed into his ear and Snotlout flinched, stumbling as the men began dragging him off, growling lowly as he tried to struggle again but the men still held onto him, taking him off down the hall forcefully.

Despite his arms being held back behind him, Snotlout's shoulders were slumped, internally panicking. He'd had let himself get caught and now him and Astrid couldn't rescue Hiccup.

He had failed them, Hiccup and Astrid both. He had failed his friends. He had failed his parents. He had failed his entire tribe. He had even failed himself.

And now as he was being led down this gloomy hallway to meet Grimmel and presumably even his death, Snotlout didn't know if he had ever felt more worse than he did now.

Except maybe when he nearly lost Hookfang several years ago. At the memory of his friend, Snotlout cringed, wishing the reptile was here to help him, knowing the two of them could defeat Grimmel and save the day.

But Hookfang wasn't there; now it was just Snotlout, and he was on his own.

As he was being led further and further down the hallway, he swallowed with uneasiness, tension rising, frightened yet anxious to see Grimmel. He definitely wanted to give the man a piece of his mind. And at least Grimmel won't have his Deathgrippers anymore so he can't be that scary, Snotlout reminded himself.

The men continued to drag him off until eventually they came to a closed room, one of the guards opening the door and entering, the others pushing Snotlout inside, keeping ahold of him, making him scowl at them, huffing.

"Grimmel," The guard stepped forward. "We found a scallywag trying to escape. What should we do with him?"

Snotlout peered ahead for the tall, white-haired man but saw no one, it just being an empty bare room, save for a table holding a few weapons. Other than that the man was nowhere to be seen, until Snotlout heard faint footsteps, tensing as he saw Grimmel emerge from the shadows.

The man walked tall and proud, looking smug and quite pleased with himself as always. His eyes went to Snotlout, who felt himself gulp, shrinking back a little, keeping his eyebrows furrowed.

"A prisoner trying to escape under my watch?" Grimmel mused, stepping closer until he was towering above Snotlout, eyeing him over with a smirk. "How foolish."

Snotlout refused to flinch, finding the courage to speak, his voice dripping with anger. "The only fool here is you Grimmel. How dare you come here and attack our island. You've made a big mistake!" He growled, getting even more angry when Grimmel started laughing.

"Ha ha ha! Mistake? The only mistake made was your defenses. Clearly you Berkians don't know how to fortify and defend an island." Grimmel smirked happily, blue eyes seeming to twinkle in amusement, making Snotlout's anger broil.

"Rrrah, you bastard!" Snotlout shouted, thrashing and jerking at the guards to break free, kicking his legs around. "Why i'm going to-"

"You're going to what? Take me out and save your entire tribe?" Grimmel was chuckling, Snotlout snarling at him, jerking uselessly at the guards that held him back. "You couldn't stop me if you tried, young man."

"Rrah, you're just one man! We defeated you before, I can do it again!"

"Ah but that's where you're wrong," Grimmel smirked, shaking his head. "You don't have your precious little dragon to help you this time."

Snotlout didn't mean to flinch at the mentioning of Hookfang but he did, feeling his steel glare locked on Grimmel falter, swallowing hard.

"You're nothing without your dragon." Grimmel continued. "Just like your pathetic chief. And it's because of him that we're in this charade in the first place." Grimmel's lips curled, eyes narrowing with a clenched fist as he talked about Hiccup.

Snotlout tensed and felt his eyes flicker with worry and anger but narrowed them nonetheless. "Well Grimmel, you're nothing without your dragons either." He huffed, showing the man his determination.

Grimmel's eyes went back to him and narrowed, stepping closer as he paced around while speaking. "You still think you can win?" His expression darkened as he came nose to nose with Snotlout. "I already have."

Snotlout continued to glare, showing his bared teeth as he growled. "No you haven't. We've never lost a battle. Hiccup always knows what to do and he'll beat you just like he has everyone else who dared cross paths with him."

Grimmel started laughing again, wiping away a fake tear. "Hiccup? As in the chief? Ha! Well where was all this victory when I showed up? I've never fought a man so weak. Why when I took him out it was like music to my ears: A symphony of death. Didn't know the boy had that much blood inside of him."

Snotlout felt his shoulders rise, eyes widening with sudden fear and worry, wishing he could leap over and murder Grimmel himself. "No! What did you do to my cousin?!" He demanded, voice merging into a snarl, beginning to struggle against the guards again.

Grimmel didn't seem fazed by the outburst, only continuing to eye him up and down, head held up high, watching Snotlout kick and cuss out the guards when he couldn't get free.

"Blister, Bruise," He turned away, seeming to lose interest in Snotlout now, approaching the small group of guards that had came in quietly. "Bring me the girl. I need to enjoy this."

Snotlout looked over, eyes narrowing watching as one of the guards wrang his hand together nervously. "I-I'm sorry sir, but, the girl, she-she escaped."

"What?!" Grimmel instantly marched over, looking outraged. Snotlout immediately smiled, feeling relief wash over him, knowing that Astrid was now safe and that she had gotten away.

"How dare you fail me?!" Grimmel snapped at them angrily. "I need that girl! Don't just stand there, go after her! Bring her to me, she cannot escape!"

The guards quickly raced out and Grimmel stood where he was a moment, back to Snotlout, who continued to grin, knowing that Grimmel's defeat was already beginning.

But then Grimmel was suddenly above him, peering down at him closely with a brow raised. "So….you wish to rescue your chief still hmm? Your…. _cousin_?"

Snotlout's mouth formed into a scowl again, glaring up at him. "Where is he?! He better be alright or i'll kick your sorry a**!"

Grimmel seemed to smirk a little and stepped back sending a nod to one of the guards who dashed off, making Snotlout tense, peering ahead, trying to see if Hiccup would appear.

Moments later he heard scuffling and a chill ran down his spine as he listened, unable to see anything ahead but darkness, tensing as he awaited to see who would appear, fearing yet hoping it would be his cousin, not sure what to expect, not even knowing if Hiccup was okay.

And then there he was as he stumbled out of the shadows and into the light as two guards held onto him from behind, the chief's arms bound behind his back, Snotlout's eyes locking with his as the boy lifted his head, and he instantly began to struggle, needing to get to him.

"Hiccup!" He cried out, looking the boy over, at least glad he was standing on two feet, or one foot, one prosthetic leg, but even so the chief didn't look good. His tunic was stained with blood and ripped in some places, bruises and scratches with a black eye upon his face, hair all rugged and floppy, looking out of sorts.

Hiccup was also hunched over, looking pained and very tired and Snotlout quickly knew it was Grimmel that had done this to him.

"Snotlout!" His cousin shouted back to him, shaking him from his thoughts, seeing Hiccup suddenly look worried and surprised, growling as he turned to face Grimmel. "How dare you hurt him! You're going to pay for laying a finger on him!" Snotlout shouted, struggling and fighting against the guards, needing to break free to get to Grimmel.

"Snotlout, don't!" He heard Hiccup shout, making him look over with confusion, giving him a questioning look, Grimmel's laughter interrupting them as he came over.

"How touching! Such loyalty to one another, how adorable! And such a twist of events, how ironic….!"

Snotlout glared furiously. "Rrrr, you son of a-"

"Grimmel, don't." Hiccup spoke, sounding worried, watching as Grimmel made his way over to Snotlout, towering over the man with a smirk.

"You want to help your cousin so badly?" Grimmel smiled dangerously, picking up Snotlout by a fistful of his tunic, Snotlout flinching a little. "Then go ahead!" Grimmel shouted and practically tossed him towards Hiccup, Snotlout bouncing and tumbling almost comically on the floor, shaking his head in surprise when he landed at Hiccup's feet.

Looking around to make sure no one was going to restrain him, Snotlout leapt to his feet and growled, raising his fists to take out the guards holding Hiccup.

Hiccup was wide-eyed, stepping back with a gasp. "Snotlout, don't!" But Snotlout ignored him, punching both of the guards in the face quickly, huffing with pride as he faced a now freed Hiccup with a smile, not understanding his cousin's frightened and fearful look.

Hearing footsteps approach behind him, Snotlout growled and whipped around to face the upcoming guards rushing towards him, beginning to fight them as well, his only focus on protecting Hiccup and getting revenge on those who dared to hurt him.

Punching guard after guard and dodging fists and elbows, Snotlout angrily continued to fight and take out the men until he heard Hiccup shout his name, looking up momentarily when he suddenly felt an arm wrap around his throat and yank him back, beginning to choke him.

He let out a yelp and a strangled gasp, kicking despite his feet being held off the ground since whoever was holding him was much taller than him, bringing his hands to his throat in an attempt to pry the man's arm off him, choking and struggling to breathe as the man continued to choke him.

He realized it was Grimmel holding him and he growled, continuing to squirm and kick and fight, clawing and scratching at Grimmel's arm to try and get him to let go, hearing the man snarl at him, feeling him grab at his hair and pull, Snotlout yelping with pain.

Struggling to breathe and fight the pain he began to struggle less and less, reluctantly going still, yelping when Grimmel suddenly threw him harshly at the closest wall, Snotlout landing hard on his shoulder, sitting up and putting a hand to his throat, gasping and coughing to catch his breath.

Grimmel was growling, motioning at a guard towards Hiccup. "Get him out of here."

Still trying to recollect himself and make sure he could breathe, Snotlout gasped as he looked up to see Grimmel marching towards him, going wide-eyed, shakeningly raising his fists. The last thing he heard was Hiccup's muffled yelling in the background before everything became fuzzy and all Snotlout could see before him was stars.

* * *

Hiccup looked up as he heard voices outside his cell, rising to his feet, flinching when he heard his door being unlocked, the guards sneering crudely. "Get in there!"

And then there was a blur before him as they tossed someone in, the man stumbling and falling to the floor at Hiccup's feet with a cry, the door slamming shut as the guards locked it and went away.

Hiccup gasped as soon as he looked down at the figure before him, who coughed, beginning to push himself up off the ground.

"Snotlout!"

"Hi-Hiccup!" Snotlout sat up, frowning instantly at his cousin who bent down to be eye-level with him on the floor.

Hiccup's wide eyes searched his face, flickering with worry when he saw bruises already forming upon Snotlout's face. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Snotlout gingerly put a hand to his sore cheek, wiping some blood away from his lip, getting to his feet. "I'm okay. That bloody maniac didn't do that much damage. Are you sure you're okay?"

Seeing Hiccup face to face now made Snotlout worry even more; up close Hiccup's face looked much worse and each bruise was clearly more visible, making his blood broil.

"I'm fine, Snotlout….but Grimmel, the village, I, he-" Hiccup's voice trailed off as he looked at Snotlout with a sad, defeated look, looking as if he might start crying. Snotlout reckoned Hiccup must be taking the blame for all this.

That he would not accept. He put up a hand, eyebrows furrowing. "Not your fault. Tell me happened." He insisted, getting straight to the point, glancing around the cell once, seeing it was a fairly small room with one bench to host the two of them, the cell cold and dark, even smelling like isolation.

Hiccup looked troubled and ran a hand through his hair, pacing a little, gesturing with his opposite hand, glancing at Snotlout now and then, who leaned against the nearest wall, watching him.

"Oh Snotlout, it-it was awful, he just came here, started attacking. We-we tried to stop him but his armada, we-we didn't stand a chance and of course without Toothless-" Hiccup's voice cracked and his breath caught in his throat, face scrunching up in pain and Snotlout frowned, knowing the same exact feeling.

"We-We didn't stand a chance." Hiccup finished with a deep breath, frowning deeply as he raised a clenched fist and then dropped it, shaking his head.

Trying to keep calm and listen to what Hiccup had to say, Snotlout offered a nod. "And? He came and locked everybody up?"

"Yes. Everyone. First me and Astrid, everyone else. Gods, I don't even know where Fishlegs and the twins are. Or Eret or even Gobber, or even Mom I-I" Hiccup's voice cracked again and Snotlout was wondering if Hiccup would break down.

"Don't worry, we're going to beat him. I-"

"And I-I had forgotten that you were even gone, Snotlout," Hiccup spoke, not seeming to have heard Snotlout's remark, looking at his cousin with big eyes. "And now you're here, stuck with me with this-this killer who actually enjoys ruining people's lives….!"

"Hey, hey, don't worry about me," Snotlout raised a hand again, shaking his head. "Like I said, we're going to beat him, Hiccup. He may have an armada but listen-"

"You don't understand," Hiccup was shaking his head. "He's here because he wants the location of the Hidden World. He's going to hurt everybody until he gets it out of them. He already tried to hurt Astrid and-"

"Whoa whoa, Astrid? What did he do to her?" Snotlout demanded, eyes going narrow, needing to know if Grimmel had hurt her too.

Hiccup looked away with a deep frown, eyes glassy and troubled, face scrunched up in hurt. "He threatened to use her against me, said if I didn't tell him where the Hidden World was he would….would hurt Astrid and when I told him i'd do anything as long as he didn't hurt her, he still tried to…..take advantage of her-" Hiccup was struggling badly now, voice breaking. Snotlout wasn't stupid, knowing how to put two and two together, frowning himself at the awful thought.

"But he didn't, Thank Thor, but he still hurt her and he's going to hurt you too now. He's going to hurt everybody and it's all because of me." Hiccup took a seat at the bench with a deep frown, putting his head into his hands and Snotlout quickly came over.

"I'm sorry Hiccup, but listen, Astrid got away after I freed her. She's free now, she can save us!"

Hiccup sat up, raising his head, almost looking hopeful. "Astrid's okay? You sure?"

Snotlout gave a nod, managing a soft smile. "Uh huh. She'll get us out of here. If anyone can get us out of here it's your wife!" He declared, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hiccup's smile then diminished. "But how? She's all alone, what can she do?"

"Doesn't matter. Either way she'll still get us out. She's prolly out freeing Fishlegs and the twins as we speak. Then boom, surprise attack on Grimmel!"

"It's not that easy i'm afraid, Snotlout," Hiccup shook his head no with a frown as he gazed at the floor. "I don't know if that's going to work this time. We don't have our dragons anymore remember?"

Snotlout scratched the back of his neck, looking away. "Don't remind me."

"And now if Astrid's gone, Grimmel's prolly going to…..to hurt you instead, Snotlout." Hiccup's wide eyes met his, looking fearful. "You're my only other family next to Mom. Without Astrid, he'll-"

"Hiccup, don't worry about me." Snotlout huffed at him with a frown. "I can take whatever that bastard throws at me. And at least Astrid's safe. I'll take any kind of beating if it means keeping her safe. Better me than her any day."

Hiccup watched him with a sympathetic expression, lips pursed together, offering a nod. "Thanks Snotlout." He said quietly, appreciating Snotlout's loyalty and dedication of nobility to his friends. "But if Grimmel tries to hurt you too, i'm not going to let him."

Snotlout gave him a look that said 'Don't worry' glancing around at the walls of their cell again. "So? Did you tell him?"

"Tell him what?"

"Where the dragons are? You didn't tell him did you?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Sorta. I told him it didn't matter where it is because he'll never be able to find it. But I dunno, when he threatened Astrid and took over the entire village, I-I don't think I can keep it to myself, Snotlout, he's so ruthless and he won't stop until he gets what he wants, I-"

"Hiccup, you can't tell him, no matter what, you know that." Snotlout stated, leaning against the wall again. "If you tell him, he'll go after Toothless and my Hookfang and then….well you know." Snotlout frowned at the thought of his best friend of a dragon getting killed, getting a sick feeling in his stomach just from the thought of it.

"I know Snotlout. I know." Hiccup breathed out with a frown, shaking his head a little. "But the village. I've already let everyone down. Maybe if I just tell Grimmel where the Hidden World is he'll let everyone go."

"Hiccup, you can't. And Grimmel taking over the village isn't your fault."

"But i'm their chief." Hiccup gave Snotlout a hard look, showing his seriousness. "And Grimmel's already sold away so many to the slave trade and I think he's even killed some by now and I've just let everyone down."

Snotlout frowned, swallowing at Hiccup's words, looking at him with hopeful eyes. "Hiccup? Do you know if my parents are alright?"

He watched as Hiccup shook his head no, the boy's gaze downcast to the floor. "No I don't."

Snotlout frowned at the thought of his parents being sold away or forced to work under Grimmel's command, horrified at the thought, figuring his father must be okay, it more so being his mother he was worried about.

She was so fragile and sweet and would crumble and break down easily if something got to be too much for her and even though she could defend herself just fine, she was no match for the soldiers they were up against.

Snotlout imagined his father hadn't left her side and was standing his ground for her, most likely fighting against the soldiers since he did have such a bad temper and wouldn't go down without a fight, Snotlout only hoping that meant his father hadn't gotten himself killed or gotten him and his mother into trouble.

Frowning, Snotlout looked at his cousin with seriousness in his eyes. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to help, Hiccup."

"No, don't be. You wouldn't have wanted to be here, trust me. It was awful. Did you at least make peace with our new neighbors?"

Snotlout, knowing Hiccup was trying to change the subject and was honestly grateful for it, nodded. "Yes. But it's a little late to be allies with them now."

"Unless Astrid goes to them." Hiccup stated and Snotlout raised his head as well as an eyebrow. "You think? Wouldn't she rather go to Dagur and Mala or Atali?"

"I dunno. I dunno what's she going to do, but-but what-what if she-"

"Hiccup, Astrid's going to be fine." Snotlout assured him. "You know her, she can do this. Like Tuffnut said, she's a Warrior Queen for Thor's sake. She can kick Grimmel's sorry butt no problem."

"But there's the warlords and thousands of-"

"Whose butts she can also kick." Snotlout almost chuckled. "Dang Hiccup, don't you trust your wife to get us outta this? Why are you so worried?"

Hiccup was quiet a moment, staring at the floor. "Because Grimmel is a mad man. And I don't think you know what he's capable of. And i'm worried because of what he's going to do to all of us: including you."

"I told you not to worry about me, Hiccup. I'm going to be fine. Like I said at least whatever he's going to do to me he won't be doing to Astrid.

And that's the chance I'm willing to take."

 **A/N: Comment time! Since i'm low on inspiration, If y'all have suggestions of ways for Grimmel to torture Snotlout, I would love to hear them! And yes, they can be as brutal as possible, I have a weak spot for Snotlout-Whump :) Otherwise, just leave your thoughts with a comment and i'll see you next time!**


	15. Rescue Me Part 2

**A/N: Torture lies ahead, so you've been warned, don't get triggered...**

 **Rescue Me Part 2**

Snotlout's eyes fluttered open, looking up to see gray, realizing it was the ceiling as he blinked himself awake, sitting up with a yawn and a stretch. He assumed it was early morning though it wasn't like there was any sunlight to be able to tell.

Rubbing at his eyes, one of which had turned a dark purple color thanks to Grimmel, Snotlout looked over at his cousin as he yawned again.

Hiccup was still asleep, lying on his side upon the lone bench, using his hands as a pillow. Snotlout had insisted his cousin take the bench and that he take the floor despite all of Hiccup's objections, who finally gave in.

He didn't mind anyway; Hiccup is the chief, he deserved the best. And as his protective cousin, Snotlout wanted Hiccup to have the best care and be safe. He could deal with a little backache on any old day.

He got to his feet and looked around with a soft sigh, shivering a little, having forgotten about the cold. He got up and made his way to the closed door, scowling up at it, wishing he was taller to at least be able to see out of the bars that served as a window.

He listened for voices from the outside but didn't hear any, sighing as he went back to his spot on the floor and sat down cross-legged, thinking momentarily.

All he could think about were his parents, his friends, Astrid going to rescue them, how much he was going to murder Grimmel's a** when he got the chance.

Frankly, Snotlout wasn't worried; knowing Astrid was their ticket to freedom was keeping him hopeful and honestly not even afraid. He knew he probably should be at least a little concerned but like he had told Hiccup; Astrid's a Warrior Queen. Like her husband, she could get herself and others out of anything.

Eventually Hiccup aroze too, Snotlout watching him as he now laid down across the floor on his back, hands behind his head. "Morning."

Hiccup was yawning, rubbing a hand through his hair, glancing at him drowsily. "Morning."

"Sleep well?" Snotlout watched him sit up, his metal leg squeaking as it came into contact with the floor.

"Probably better than you did. You didn't have to-"

"Hiccup, just drop it." Snotlout shook his head as he sat up. "You're worrying too much."

Hiccup frowned at him. "And you should be too. Once Grimmel's-"

The two of them froze and looked up when they heard someone at their door, hearing it being unlocked, guards filing inside.

Snotlout growled and quickly got to his feet, raising his fists as he stepped back to be in front of Hiccup, glaring at the guards who stepped near them.

"You're going to see Grimmel." One of them gruffed, already grabbing at Hiccup, who didn't fight them, letting them grab him and tie his hands behind his back quietly.

"Hey!" Snotlout snarled at them before he was grabbed too, jerking as they began yanking and pulling at his arms, growling when they only continued to pull, swearing lowly at them, continuing to fight.

He spared a glance over at Hiccup and saw he was still standing calmly and allowing himself to be restrained, the guards already beginning to lead him out quietly.

Snotlout's eyebrows raised a little and he huffed, flinching as he too then let the guards tie his hands together, still giving them nasty glares however.

Once his hands were bound, they still held onto his arms and began to lead him out after Hiccup and Snotlout snorted a little, eyes narrowed in anger, tensing as he prepared himself to see Grimmel, despising the man, wondering what he and Hiccup were in for now.

Either way, he was not going to let Grimmel hurt his cousin on his watch, not if he could help it.

Figuring it'd be best to remain silent until they got there, Snotlout continued to go quietly, lips curling up in disgust when they were brought to the same room as yesterday, the guards bringing the cousins in, roughly shoving both of them down to the floor onto their knees.

Snotlout glared at them as they stepped aside, looking around for Grimmel, who began stepping out of the shadows with a chuckle.

 _Man, does this guy have to make a production out of everything?_

"Good morning!" The silver-haired man greeted with a wide smile as he came close to them, Snotlout continuing to glare up at him. "Sleep well? I hope your cell fit your accommodations perfectly. Oh wait, that's right, I nearly forgot, you're my prisoners! Silly me…." The man chuckled and mused to himself and Snotlout couldn't help but roll his eyes at him.

"Oh dang, we almost had a chance there, Snotlout." Hiccup quipped and Snotlout looked at him in surprise, momentarily forgetting how sassy Hiccup could be, even in the face of danger, managing a smirk at him, chuckling lowly.

Grimmel's now narrowed eyes glared down at Hiccup with a scowl, soon smirking again however. "Glad to see we're in such a cheerful mood during such a dark time." He seemed to sneer, eyes darting between the two of them.

"But i'm afraid that laughter will be your last. Now, because i'm such a nice person-"

Snotlout raised a brow at that.

"I'm going to give you another chance before I make each of your lives a living Hell. Tell me where the Hidden World and the Night Fury is."

Grimmel was now nose to nose with them, more so Hiccup, eyeing them both down darkly, Snotlout giving him a mean look but keeping his mouth shut, glancing at Hiccup to hear what he would say.

Hiccup's eyes were narrowed, scowling a little himself. "I already told you, even if I do tell you where it is, you'll never be able to find it no matter how hard you try."

Grimmel was quiet a minute and stood up straight, glaring down at Hiccup crossly. "Well, you're an even bigger fool than I thought you were, Hiccup Haddock. No matter, this just means I get to have some more fun. But since the girl, your little she-devil of a wife-" Grimmel spat out the words harshly. "-escaped, I'm afraid your cousin will have to do instead."

He smiled as his eyes landed on Snotlout, who tensed a little, but continued to glare up at him coldly, telling himself not to be afraid. Whatever Grimmel did to him he could take, reminding himself that at least it wasn't Astrid or anybody else from the gang taking the hits.

"I'm not going to let you hurt him." Hiccup suddenly growled and Snotlout caught a glance of him glaring up angrily at Grimmel, which boosted his confidence even more now.

"Oh really?" Grimmel chuckled again. "Well, i'm afraid you'll do more than let me hurt him…..you're going to watch me."

Grimmel than motioned at the guards with a hand and they came over and grabbed Hiccup, picking him up and bringing him towards the side of the wall quickly. "Hey!" Snotlout growled at them, flinching a little when he felt the rope around his hands being cut free, getting to his feet quickly, gaze returning to Grimmel.

"Now my boy, here's your chance to prove yourself," The man now stood in a fighting position, fists raised. "If you still think you can win." He smirked darkly, looking all too eager for a fight.

Snotlout's eyes immediately narrowed and he raised fists of his own, glancing around to see all the guards at the sidelines, it just being him and Grimmel in the center of the room now. Eager, Snotlout realised this was his chance to take out Grimmel head on and even with an audience!

"Snotlout, don't!" Hiccup's shaking voice floated into his ears but he ignored him, locking his eyes onto Grimmel, taking in a deep breath as he prepared himself.

Grimmel laughed again, slowly beginning to circle with Snotlout as they each eyed their opponent. "I'd tell you to listen to your cousin and save yourself while you still can but i'm not going to allow that so enjoy your last moments with him while you still can."

Snotlout only grinned at him coolly as they continued to circle and close in on each other. "Well Grimmel, i'd tell you to enjoy your last moments as well but I don't think you will so I'll just go ahead and hit you anyways, ha!"

Snotlout threw the first punch and never had punching someone in the face ever felt better! Grimmel stumbled back a little, looking surprised, eyes narrowing with a growl, throwing a punch at Snotlout who dodged it and then another, taking another swing, missing, snarling in pain when Grimmel hit him in the jaw.

"Ha ha! Fool!" Grimmel laughed. Snotlout only glared, swiping at his cheek, continuing to dodge more punches that Grimmel threw at him.

It was nice to be short for once because it was harder for Snotlout's opponents to hit him head on and Snotlout couldn't help but laugh at the fact that Grimmel was so much taller than him, the man struggling to have to bend down just to hit him.

Snotlout huffed and punched him hard in the stomach with a glare, the man snarling angrily, backhanding him across the face hard, knocking Snotlout to the ground, who growled, getting back to his feet quickly.

"Grimmel, stop it!" Hiccup cried from the sides as guards still held him back but he was ignored by both Grimmel and Snotlout, who continued to fight, Snotlout punching Grimmel again, this time in the face, laughing. "Give up yet?!"

Grimmel snarled, seeming to get more angry. "Never!"

He threw more punches and Snotlout did his best to quickly dodge them, doing surprisingly well, grinning. Fighting with his father for his entire life for once made him grateful, Spitelout constantly beating him having taught him how to defend himself and how to fight back, mainly the reason why Snotlout was now such a good fighter.

Besides, he isn't afraid of Grimmel. No one could ever be more scary to him than his father.

Snotlout punched Grimmel in the stomach again and then the face, kicking him down to the floor, Grimmel letting out a furious snarl.

Snotlout smirked, chest puffed out with pride. "Aww, what's the matter Grimmel? Don't like being a loser?"

Grimmel got to his feet, eyes narrowed into slits. "Rrrah!" He moved so fast Snotlout didn't realise it until Grimmel had struck him the face, falling back to the ground straight on his back, letting out a pained 'oof!' as he lay momentarily dazed.

He looked up to see Grimmel suddenly coming towards him and he gasped, trying to scramble back but Grimmel moved fast on his very long legs, suddenly on top of him, punching his lights out.

Snotlout yelped and tried to block his face, unable to as Grimmel kept slamming his fist into his cheek, Snotlout getting dizzy now, flashbacks of his father hitting him over and over flashing through his brain, bringing down his confidence, unable to fight back, going scared.

Grimmel hit him in the eye with a smirk and Snotlout growled in pain, shaking his head, baring his teeth.

 _No, no! You can't stop now! Don't be afraid, fight back!_

Snotlout growled and furrowed his eyebrows, lifting up his legs and kicking Grimmel head on in the stomach, kicking the man off him, smirking as he got up to see him sprawled out on his back on the floor.

Raising his fists with a pride-filled smile, Snotlout prepared himself for the next blow, knowing his father would be proud of him for that move, even though he had used the same move on him many times.

Grimmel got up, looking absolutely fed up by now. "Gah! You little rat!" He ran up to punch the boy in the face who moved aside quickly, taking a swing of his own but missed, Grimmel punching him in the nose, Snotlout yelping as he stumbled back, worried his nose was now bleeding, clutching it tenderly.

Before he could do anything else, Grimmel had suddenly grabbed him and slammed him up against the nearest wall hard, making Snotlout yelp with pain as his face got smushed, flinching at Grimmel's sharp elbow digging straight into his back.

He started to jerk and elbow at him with a growl but Grimmel held him there, Snotlout growling with pain and struggling, his face smarting badly with pain, feeling almost numb. He could hear Grimmel laughing at him and he tried desperately to elbow him away, pushing on the wall to try to get himself free.

"Let go of me!" He managed to get out as his cheek and face was still getting squished, breathing heavily as he was beginning to get tired and Grimmel was not letting up, still continuing to chuckle into his ear.

Suddenly with a growl Grimmel shoved him aside roughly to the floor, Snotlout coughing and trying to catch his breath as he rolled from his stomach to his feet, glaring at Grimmel as he ran a hand over his sore cheek, growling lowly. He had to give the man credit: he's faster and stronger than he looks.

"Give up yet?" Grimmel smirked as he came near him, seeming to mock Snotlout, who tensed as anger ran through his veins, keeping his fists raised, despite his body shaking.

He didn't answer, instead dodging the next blow, trying to punch him, yelping when Grimmel suddenly grabbed his arm and whipped him around, yanking him into his chest to immediately wrap an arm around Snotlout's throat, beginning to choke him.

Snotlout sputtered and yelped as he began to squirm and jerk, kicking as Grimmel held him up off his feet, cursing himself for being so short, twisting and jerking as Grimmel choked him, clawing at the man's arm with a snarl.

Grimmel was laughing into his ear again and Snotlout growled as he tried to kick him to make him let him go, coughing as Grimmel only continued to choke him, beginning to whimper as he lost air, feeling the blood drain from his face as it felt like the life was being squeezed out of him, squirming weakly as he began to go scared again.

 _"Yer going to have to do better than that son! Sharpen up and be a man! I ain't raisin' a weakling!"_

Spitelout flashed before his eyes again, making him shake his head to make the visions go away, gasping when Grimmel finally let go of him, getting shoved to the floor, coughing and panting as he struggled to catch his breath, quickly and shakily getting back to his feet, wide-eyed.

 _Don't think of Dad, this fight isn't with him, this is with Grimmel, you have to win!_ He mentally screamed at himself, keeping where he stood as Grimmel marched over to him with fists raised gleefully. "Awwww," The man was chuckling at him with a smirk. "How pitiful. You actually thought you could beat me!"

Snotlout couldn't help but growl with narrowed eyes. "I still can! I haven't given up yet!" He rushed to attack, swinging his fists and dodging Grimmel's, punching the man as hard as he could only to get knocked down himself, rolling over to his stomach, panting.

He started to get up but was instead yanked to his feet when Grimmel suddenly grabbed him by his hair, pulling as hard as he could, Snotlout screaming with pain, scrambling to claw at the hand ripping out all his hair.

 _"I hate ye son! Yer nothing but a screw-up!"_ Spitelout's words rang through his head again, disorienting Snotlout's focus, weakening him as he began to whimper at the pain, struggling to make Grimmel let go.

Grimmel was still laughing and he let go of Snotlout's hair, shoving him away, making him stumble backwards until he was on the floor, looking up with big eyes, shaking and growing tired.

Seeing the man coming towards him again Snotlout tensed and started to get to his feet but Grimmel moved faster and slammed his fist into the boy's stomach, knocking him down again immediately, Snotlout's arms clutched around his sides in pain, wincing.

Beginning to see stars and get dizzy, he suddenly looked up to see Grimmel right in front of him seconds before the man punched him, Snotlout trying to roll to his side and block his face with a yelp.

Grimmel was right ontop of him and the man's knees pressed down onto Snotlout's elbows, making his arms useless, continuing to hit the boy's face over and over.

Snotlout yelped with pain and tried to squirm and wriggle away but couldn't, eyes welling with tears as the pain kept getting worse and worse but he forced himself not to cry, trying to stay strong but he was gradually reaching his breaking point as Grimmel would not stop hitting him.

"Like I told you before my boy, you can't win, especially not all by yourself. You. Are. _Nothing_!" He hissed gleefully with a laugh, punching Snotlout in the nose again.

Snotlout felt like he couldn't breathe, his face numb by now despite the striking blows he was receiving, whimpering and sniveling a little, knowing he had to get out of there before he broke down and Grimmel got the best of him.

Squeezing his eyes shut tight and clenching his teeth with pain, he tried to think of a way to get out of there, suddenly remembering the dagger he had swiped from the guard earlier, opening his eyes, holding his breath as he began reaching for it, wincing at the pain from Grimmel's knee pressing his arm into the ground.

Unable to avoid the oncoming fist, Grimmel punched him again and he winced in pain, grunting a little as he reached for his belt, searching for the dagger, finally wrapping his fingers around the handle in relief, whipping it out quickly.

With a cry, he quickly aimed for Grimmel's stomach and slashed it across, nearly flinching at the contact of the man's skin, already seeing blood.

Grimmel immediately got to his feet and shrunk back with a cry, hands over the wound, peering down at it with wide eyes, looking shocked and almost mortified.

Snotlout slowly began to sit up, gripping the dagger now with both hands shakingly, wide-eyed, almost in shock at what he had done. Watching Grimmel, he saw the man's expression turn murderous, letting out a furious snarl, already coming towards him.

Snotlout gasped and began to scramble away backwards, yelping when Grimmel came up and kicked him as hard as he could in the side, crying out as he rolled to his side, stupidly letting go of the dagger as he clutched his now sore ribs.

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Grimmel pick it up despite his blood-smeared hands, glaring down at him, looking much too eager about what he was going to do to him next.

Looking up, Snotlout realised he had to get up and run, scrambling to get to his feet, stepping back as he saw Grimmel rush up to him again. "Now it's your turn!"

Wildly, the man began slashing the dagger at Snotlout, trying to slice him with the blade, Snotlout doing his absolute best to avoid it, flinching and stumbling back, wide-eyed with fear, unable to move when he saw the blade suddenly coming right towards him, crying out as Grimmel slashed a deep cut into his stomach.

Immediately he stumbled back as his hands flew to the wound, bumping into a wall which only startled him more, sliding down to the floor, feeling his hands go wet with the blood, whimpering and gasping with pain, hurting.

"And now my boy," He looked up with big eyes to see Grimmel had stepped away, breathing heavily as he lay shaking upon the floor, grateful for the wall to lean his head back, admittedly quite tired and needing to dress his wounds.

"You will face a more appropriate opponent, one who will surely take care of you for good." Grimmel finished, slowly stepping backwards into the shadows even more.

Snotlout felt his eyes narrow, breathing heavily as he growled lowly. "Hey! You coward! Finish the fight you started! I ain't through with you yet!" He huffed, wincing as he got to his feet, angered at Grimmel for pulling such a weak move and backing out of a fight, especially since Snotlout still wanted to beat him.

"Let me introduce you to my friend, The Rock." Grimmel continued, seeming to ignore Snotlout's remark.

Snotlout raised a brow. "The Rock?" He repeated with a huff, snorting a little.

"Ragnar the Rock."

Snotlout's eyes widened when he saw the large man emerge from the shadows, shrinking back as he couldn't help but gulp, feeling all of his confidence vanish as the so called 'Rock' towered over him.

Facing off with tall and slender Grimmel was no problem for Snotlout, he was basically just an older version of Hiccup, but now, seeing the huge, stocky man with large muscles standing before him, he knew he couldn't take on this guy and he certainly wouldn't be able to win.

It was like looking at his father, scaring Snotlout even more, cowering a little as Ragnar smirked at him with amusement, raising his large hands and balling them into fists clear for Snotlout to see, who gulped again.

 _Those hands must be as big as my face_ , he thought to himself, feeling queasy and nervous, unsure if he would even be able to hit this guy he was so large and intimidating.

Despite his stomach still bleeding and smarting badly from where Grimmel slashed him, Snotlout bit the inside of his cheek, shakingly raising his fists, trying to look tough but he was pretty sure he still looked as scared as he felt.

Ragnar was smirking down at him, brown eyes seeming to twinkle, laughing. "Ready?"

Snotlout didn't even answer, afraid his voice would only come out as a squeak, instead trying to come up with a way to beat this guy or at least avoid getting beaten to a pulp anyways.

And then Ragnar threw the first punch and Snotlout jumped back, the squeak finally escaping him, cringing with embarrassment when he heard himself, trying his best to hold back the rest of his whimpers as he continued to flinch away and dodge Ragnar's fist left and right.

He heard Grimmel laughing in the background and he momentarily became distracted, yelping when Ragnar punched him, getting knocked backwards into the wall hard, hunching over to clutch his stomach with pain as he winced, wide-eyed, panting heavily with fear, Ragnar already marching up to him again.

Trying to hold his ground, Snotlout remained where he stood and ducked the oncoming fist, punching the man's stomach, shrinking back when the man didn't even flinch or budge, realising he couldn't even fight this guy without doing any damage, helplessness washing over him, his confidence drowning.

He saw Ragnar smirk and the man's hand lashed out and grabbed a fistful of his tunic, pushing him up against the wall, using his opposite hand to slug Snotlout straight in the stomach, Snotlout yelping and gasping to breathe, the wind getting knocked out of him, practically going limp, leaning his weight against Ragnar's hand as the man still held him against the wall.

Snotlout got punched again and he squeaked and winced as he felt several of his ribs crack, jerking himself away, shaking badly now, unable to stand up straight as his whole body ached, unable to even lift his fists up all the way, looking up fearfully at Ragnar as he side-stepped around him unsteadily.

Ragnar turned around and seemed to raise a brow, stepping towards him with balled fists and Snotlout swallowed hard, flinching when he saw the fist coming towards him and when he felt it slam into his cheek, yelping as he instantly got knocked to the ground, feeling like his entire set of teeth was knocked out.

Lying limply on his side, Snotlout slowly and weakly began to push himself up, blinking away a few tears, whimpering faintly, everything hurting, needing to rest and to stop getting punched over and over already.

Thinking of his father, he knew he would be cross with him for being afraid and losing and Snotlout frowned deeply at the thought, slowly getting to his feet but quickly stepping backwards with fear as Ragnar came towards him, crying out when the man's massive fist slammed into his stomach, knocking him straight up against the wall again, bringing him straight down to the floor.

Shaking badly, Snotlout couldn't help but snivel and cry a little, everything hurting, unable to get up, lying there helplessly as he panted, clutching his stomach with pain, hands getting smeared with more blood as the cut on his stomach was still emitting red.

Hearing his name being called in the background, Snotlout glanced over to see Hiccup, who he had honestly forgotten was even there watching him get his butt severely kicked, eyebrows slowly furrowing as he remembered the reason he was even here, remembering his desire for revenge, eyes narrowing.

Weakly, he forced his shaking arms to push himself up, managing to get to his feet though he swayed a little, doing his best to stand in a fighting position despite hunching over due to his wounded stomach, raising his clenched fists as he looked Ragnar in the eye.

The man laughed a little as he looked down at him. "I'll admit kid, you've got gumption. I almost feel sorry for you." He chuckled and a little voice in Snotlout's head told him to run away and get outta there but yet his feet didn't budge, unable to move nor run away even if he so badly wanted to.

Ragnar punched him before he even realised it, lying sprawled out on his side again, crying out with pain, seeing stars, knowing this time for sure he wouldn't be able to get up again.

His body was screaming at him to rest as everything smarted and Snotlout could feel tiredness take him over as he began to lose consciousness, everything going blurry.

Weakly he tried to lift his head in an attempt to get up to keep fighting, hearing Grimmel's laughter in the background from what sounded like miles away, quickly giving up as he could no longer fight it anymore, letting his head drop with a defeated whimper, eyelids closing until all he could see was black.

Watching from the sidelines, Hiccup cried out in horror. "No! Grimmel you monster! You hurt him!" He shouted angrily in accusation, on the brink of tears, wide-eyed at the sight of his unconscious cousin.

Grimmel just waved him off with a shrug, still keeping a hand at his stomach where Snotlout had cut him. "He's fine. I coulda stopped you know, if you had just told me where the Hidden World is." He huffed with a smirk, hovering directly in front of Hiccup's face.

Hiccup's breath caught in his throat, shaking as he glared furiously at his enemy, frowning deeply, angered with himself and yet scared, fearing Snotlout might be seriously hurt and that it was his own fault for letting his cousin suffer the pain when it should've been him instead.

Ragnar came over with a limp Snotlout in his arms, Hiccup practically gasping again when he saw him, pulling weakly at the guards in an attempt to get away, letting out a sob-like sound when they only held him back.

"Well the kid can hold his ground…..for a little while anyway." Ragnar huffed with a sort of shrug, looking at Grimmel for his next order.

"Yes." Grimmel sneered, still furious at Snotlout for daring to cut his stomach, looking the unconscious boy over carelessly. "Now get him out of my sight." He waved his hand at the guards as he began walking out of there without another word.

Hiccup shook, going scared as he saw Snotlout get handed off to more guards, flinching as guards began dragging him off, fearing he wouldn't see his cousin again. "W-Wait, Snotlout!

 **Snotlout!"**

* * *

"Snotlout! Snotlout! Snotlout!"

"Ugh, Hiccup, quit saying my name…." Snotlout groaned as he shook his head a little, fluttering his eyes open, annoyed to have been woken up.

"Snotlout, you're okay! Thank Thor! You-You are okay, right?"

Snotlout started to sit up, immediately groaning with pain and holding his head, wincing as he got blinded with intense pain, lying back down again. "Ugh, ow…...ow ow ow…." He whimpered softly, suddenly dizzy, everything spinning.

"You're not okay…." He heard Hiccup mumble softly, frowning as he opened his eyes again. "Did, did I win?" He held his head gingerly, wincing at the pain coming from his stomach.

Hiccup seemed to give him a sympathetic look, almost looking pitiful. "You gave it your best shot…..oh Snotlout, i'm so sorry," He let out a groan, shaking his head with a frown. "This-this is my fault that Grimmel did this to you."

"Your fault?" Snotlout frowned, starting to sit up again, lying back down quickly as he gasped with pain. "Ow ow ow ow….."

"Careful, you really shouldn't move around too much, Snotlout." Hiccup frowned at him, gently pushing him back down, eyes big with worry and concern. "That Rock fella really did a number on you."

Snotlout's hand went to his sore ribs, running a hand over his stomach gently, eyes squeezed shut tightly. "No kidding. I'll get him next time though."

"How-How bad are you hurt? Can-Can I do anything? What about your cut? I-I should take a look at it."

"Hiccup," Snotlout almost groaned at him, frowning. "It's fine. I'm fine. Doesn't even hurt." That of course was a lie.

"Snotlout, your tunic's stained with blood, lemme see. Jus' to make sure it's okay."

Snotlout let out a tired sigh, knowing his cousin wouldn't stop pestering him about it no matter what he said, slowly grabbing his shirt, lifting it up to reveal the cut across his stomach where Grimmel had slashed him.

Hiccup frowned but was glad to see it wasn't too bad, especially glad it wasn't deep. "Okay. It's not too bad but still a little bloody. We should get it cleaned up but we don't have anything to clean it up with."

"No need, I said it was fine anyways." Snotlout huffed, pulling his shirt back down, beginning to sit up again, tired of lying on his back. "That Grimmel thinks he's so smug, he- ow, ow…." He sucked in a breath through clenched teeth as he winced, shaking a little at the pain.

"Snotlout stop moving," Hiccup put a hand to Snotlout's chest, stopping him. "You're only hurting yourself more. You need to get some rest, heal yourself."

"How-How can I sleep at a time like this?" Snotlout huffed, despite being incredibly tired and exhausted, indeed wanting to sleep, but also wanting to stay awake and make sure Hiccup's okay.

"You're hurt, you need to rest. You want to sleep on the bench this time?"

Snotlout shook his head no tiredly, eyes already closed. "No….I don't think I can even make it over there." He yawned.

Hiccup swallowed hard and frowned deeply at him, guilt eating at him. "Okay. Okay. I'll leave you alone now. Get some rest."

He got up and slowly stepped away, eyeing his cousin with a deep frown, but Snotlout was already asleep, not even hearing him.

* * *

"Snotlout, Snotlout wake up….."

"Ugh, what?!" Snotlout snapped with a growl as Hiccup shook him awake, glaring at him when he finally opened his eyes, still tired and wanting to sleep.

"They brought us some food. If you can even call it food. I figured you should have some."

Yawning, Snotlout rubbed tiredly at his eyes. "How long was I asleep?"

"Few hours I think. Not like there's much to do in here anyways." Hiccup watched him closely, lips pursed at his cousin who still looked as hurt and tired as ever.

Snotlout ran a hand over his face, frowning when he looked and saw dried blood across his palms. "Go ahead and eat first." He stated, attempting to sit up again, wincing softly.

"You sure? You're the one who needs to eat. You need your strength."

"Hiccup, just eat. I'll eat when you're finished." Snotlout stated matter-of-factly, yawning again.

"But you're the one who took on two-"

"Hiccup! If you don't eat that slop then I will take that spoon and force feed it down your throat myself!" Snotlout huffed, giving Hiccup a sort of cross look.

"Okay, okay…." Hiccup frowned and picked up the spoon from the bowl he held in his lips, daring to take a bite of the white slop, literal slop, recoiling in disgust, shuddering.

"What is it even?" Snotlout raised a brow at him as he watched, having managed to sit up, keeping himself propped up with his hands.

"I dunno. I think it used to be some sort of potato stew….?" Hiccup shuddered again at the grossness of the meal, wishing they could have real food instead. "Or cheese…?"

Snotlout recoiled a little himself, lips curling up in disgust. "Ugh…..Well at least Grimmel's letting us eat."

"Meanwhile half the village is probably starving…." Hiccup said quietly, frowning as he looked at the ground, shaking his head, handing the bowl off to Snotlout. "Here, just take it."

"Hiccup." Snotlout gave him a look as he carefully sat up on his own, taking the bowl into his hands, not wanting to have remind Hiccup not to blame himself again or that he needs to take care of himself just as much as everybody else, figuring that conversation would go on for hours.

Hiccup put up a hand, eyebrows furrowed. "Just take it. I'm not hungry anyways. You need it more than me."

Snotlout frowned at him with a huff but took a bite anyways, shaking his head a little, shuddering a little as he managed to gulp the stuff down, hoping this wouldn't make either one of them sick. Either way, it was food and Snotlout ten realized how starving he was, not even able to remember the last time he had eaten anything, frowning at Hiccup as he continued to eat.

"Hiccup. I told you not to worry, remember?"

Hiccup turned to face him, giving him an almost are-you-serious-look. "After watching you get beaten to a bloody pulp? How can I not worry? Everybody's in danger and it's all because of me!"

"Okay, first of all, I didn't get beaten to a bloody pulp." Snotlout huffed with a brow raised. "I only mildly gotten beaten. Those guys were nothing compared to….." Snotlout hesitated as he thought of his father. "Some people…...And second, true they may all be in danger because of you-" Hiccup gave him a dry look at that with a sort of scowl. "But they're all going to be grateful when you'll be the one to save them too." Snotlout finished, looking at Hiccup sincerely.

"You're not perfect, Hiccup, every chief's going to make mistakes, and trust me, you've made plenty of mistakes in your life, cuz, ahem, the Edge, but in the end you'll make up for it and I'm sure no one's doubting your upcoming rescue."

Hiccup continued to shake his head as he stared downcast at the floor. "None of this would've happened if my father were still here. He would never allow something like this to happen to his village."

Snotlout swallowed, frowning at him, feeling sorry for him. "Well Hiccup, you're not Stoick. You're not nearly as good as he was."

Hiccup raised his head, giving him a sort of cross look with a frown. "How is that supposed to help me feel better?"

"You didn't let me finish." Snotlout stated patiently, remaining calm. "You're not as good as Stoick, Hiccup.

You're better."

* * *

The next time Snotlout was woken up, it wasn't by Hiccup, instead being much more of a rude awakening, waking up with a start as he was suddenly grabbed by guards and yanked off the floor.

"H-Hey! Hey! Ow ow!" He yelped, jerking around, crying out in pain as they handled him roughly, frightened as he didn't know what was going on, searching for Hiccup.

"Let go of me! Ow, put me down!" He was starting to get dragged out of their cell roughly, wincing and yelping as all they did was keep him off the ground, yanking and dragging him off harshly despite his wild kicking and wriggling around.

"Wait, wait, where are you going with him? Take me too!" He heard Hiccup shout, looking over with wide eyes to see the guards slam the cell door shut with Hiccup still inside.

"Sorry kid, Grimmel only wants to see this one." The guard sneered at him and Snotlout frowned as he continued to get dragged off, realising it was just him now, swallowing hard as the guards continued to bring him to Grimmel with him being carried helplessly in their arms, anxiety creeping up his chest.

As soon as they were inside the all-too familiar room, they threw Snotlout to the ground, the boy tumbling and rolling across the floor with a yelp, breathing heavily at the pain coming from his cracked ribs, looking up to see Grimmel standing before him, chuckling.

Frowning tiredly, Snotlout dared to push himself up, eyebrows furrowed. "What is it now?"

Grimmel just smirked down at him. "What, not happy to see me?"

Snotlout glared, getting to his feet carefully. "If I get to finish the fight we started than I am. If not, then…."

"Ha ha, it's not that, my boy. I have something much better in store for you."

"Well It better involve getting to punch you in the face because i'd like to purchase a knuckle sandwich." Snotlout growled, cracking his knuckles as he glared up at him.

Grimmel laughed. "That's funny. You're a funny guy, much like your cousin. You know it's funny, I don't see much of a resemblance."

Snotlout shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't see much a of a resemblance either but yet you still look like a troll." He huffed smartly, brow raised, proud of himself for coming up with the remark.

Grimmel frowned at him with his eyes narrowing. "I'm afraid we're getting away from the subject and i'm not having any fun, so let's start having some fun now shall we? Guards."

Snotlout frowned as the men grabbed him by his arms, growling at them as he pulled weakly, already knowing he couldn't get away however as they held onto him tightly.

Grimmel waved a hand at them. "You know what to do. Get him up there."

"Wait, what?" Snotlout frowned as he didn't understand, feeling fear wash over him, not knowing what he was up against, flinching as the guards already began yanking on him and hoisting him off the ground.

"Wait, wait, what's happening?! What are you doing?!"

Men were grabbing at him and lifting him up into the air next to the wall, Snotlout squirming weakly and whimpering with fear as he had no idea what was happening, upside down as the tall men put him up against the wall, feeling shackles lock around his ankles, holding him there.

Breathing heavily and shaking, everything upside down now as he hung there, the men shackled his hanging arms together as well with handcuffs and a chain, Snotlout looking around frantically as he panted with fear, his shirt sliding down to his neck, revealing his bare chest and bruised stomach.

"Perfect."

He saw an upside down Grimmel coming towards him, wide-eyed, swallowing hard as he tried to move around, panicking a little with fear. "Wait, wait, wh-what-what are you going to do to me?!" He trembled, admittedly quite frightened, not liking being upside down, head already hurting from the blood rushing to his head.

Grimmel came nose to nose with him, smirking darkly and even upside down Snotlout thought he looked terrifying.

"I told you, i'm going to torture you senselessly until I get your pathetic twig of a cousin to tell me where the Night Fury is. Good thing you just happen to be the one related to him. You're just going to love this. Oh don't worry, it won't hurt. At least, it won't hurt me. You on the other hand, oh yeah, this is going to hurt."

Snotlout frowned at him with big, scared eyes, swallowing hard, unsure of what was going to happen to him, shaking, wishing Hiccup or his friends were there, frightened.

Grimmel stepped away, waving a hand again. "Now shut him up boys, make it quick."

Snotlout tensed and shrunk back with a gasp, shaking his head no as guards started coming up to him. "No! No!"

One grabbed at his hair and kept his head still, Snotlout crying out and whimpering helplessly as the other shoved a cloth roughly into his mouth, gagging him, his eyes welling with tears as they tied it tightly around his head, biting down with a sniffle, letting out a few muffled whimpers as he continued to tremble with fear.

As the guards stepped away, he opened his glossy eyes to see a new figure approaching, a strange mask or cloth wrapped around his face, scaring Snotlout even more, who was doing his absolute best not to start crying.

"I'm going to enjoy this." Grimmel stated from nearby, Snotlout watching as the masked figure kept approaching, spotting the man was carrying something, eyes widening when he saw what it was, dread washing over him, immediately whimpering and shaking his head no.

But the man didn't stop until he stood right in front of Snotlout, lifting the whip above him to strike, Snotlout screaming before he could even hit him, and then the rest was history.

* * *

 _Whapeesh!_

Snotlout screamed again for what must have been the millionth time, sobbing and crying out through his gag as the man struck him over and over, screaming in agony at the pain, blood running down his chest to his throat, getting everywhere.

Another strike, another sob. He shook his head no desperately and tried to reach for his stomach in pain, the chains of his handcuffs rattling loudly, a terrible sound. He screamed at them to stop, begging them to stop, screaming and crying over and over but all his cries came out muffled and no one seemed to care.

The man's whip struck him again and Snotlout continued to sob, never having been in such agonizing pain before, not even with his father, whimpering helplessly as he continued to cry and snivel, tears running down his face and dripping to the floor.

He felt more blood escape him and trail down his chest, gasping to breathe as he continued to sob, biting down tightly on the gag in his mouth as he screamed again at the pain.

The man struck him several more times before it finally stopped and Snotlout could just barely hear Grimmel speak in the background, a constant ringing in his ears mixed with the sound of his own sobbing practically making him deaf.

"That's enough. Release him."

Snotlout couldn't even open his eyes as he continued to sob and cry, helplessly dangling there upside down as he dared not to move, unable to feel anything but pain as blood continued to pour out of him.

He barely even noticed when someone unshackled his ankles and he was free, falling straight to the ground, yelping but hardly noticing as he half curled into himself, bringing his hands to his face to sob into them, his cries and whimpers still muffled.

Snotlout didn't dare move as he laid there limply upon the ground in front of all them, shaking horribly with pain as he only continued to sob, his blood already smearing the ground where he had landed.

Grimmel smirked down at him, pleased, offering a nod to the man who had done the dirty work. "That'll do. Now, get him out of my sight."

The leaders of the guards, Blister and Bruise, twins, nodded and went over to pick up Snotlout who yelped but didn't dare object or fight them, only continuing to sob, keeping his hands, which were still handcuffed together, over his face, crying loudly.

The brothers took him out of the room and down the hall to Hiccup's cell, tossing the boy inside when they got there, walking away as if nothing had even happened, leaving him.

Hiccup looked up from where he sat on the bench, mouth dropping open when he saw they had brought his cousin back, shrinking back in horror when he saw him, rushing over.

"Snotlout?! Snotlout, are you alright?!"

Snotlout lay on his side where they had tossed him, hands still over his face as he continued to cry, hardly noticing Hiccup at all.

Hiccup went rigid with fear when he saw Snotlout was crying, scrambling to figure out what was wrong with him, going white when he finally saw red on Snotlout's stomach, lifting his shirt up to see more, gasping in horror when he saw, hand going over his mouth as he pulled away, mortified.

Beginning to feel sick, Hiccup's eyes welled with tears, fear-struck, reaching for Snotlout's face, going to comfort him, the sound of his sobbing killing him.

He saw Snotlout was still gagged and carefully he pulled the boy's hands away from his face, removing it.

"Snotlout, Snotlout talk to me! Are you okay?! Oh, i'm so sorry, Snotlout, this is all my fault!" Hiccup's voice cracked as he shouted, tears falling from his eyes before he realised it. "I'm sorry, i'm so sorry…..!"

Snotlout's lip quivered as he rubbed at his crying eyes, sniffling and choking on a sob, not daring to open his eyes or even acknowledge his cousin, still distraught and in complete pain.

"Please Hiccup," He choked out, his voice a complete whimper, it hurting to even speak. "Jus' leave me be. Don't-Don't speak to me now." He covered his face with his hands again as he sniffled, frowning deeply with embarrassment and hurt as he continued to cry.

Hiccup shrunk back with a look of shock, hurt, lip quivering as he slowly stepped away, not wanting to leave his cousin but not knowing what else to do other than try to comfort him, which Snotlout clearly did not want.

Hiccup took in a shaky breath, frowning deeply with guilt as he eyed his cousin, shaking his head sadly. "I-I'm so sorry….." He whispered again, forcing himself to look away as he sat down on the bench, clenching his fists tightly, swearing to himself to get revenge on Grimmel for hurting his cousin, for breaking him.

And then they continued to sit and lie there, the only sounds filling the room being Snotlout's heartbreaking sobs as he continued to lie limply in pain, helpless and hopeless, knowing he had failed everybody, including himself.

* * *

Hours later, the guards returned again and Hiccup rushed over in front of Snotlout before they could get to him, holding his arms out protectively. "No! You're not going to hurt him again! Take me instead, not him!"

Bruise huffed at him with a sneer. "Out of the way!" He knocked Hiccup aside to the floor, reaching down for a frightened Snotlout, who shook his head no and whimpered, yelping when they grabbed him, crying out from the pain of his still smarting welts.

"No!" Hiccup cried, rushing to his feet, trying to get to them before they could take Snotlout, desperate, glaring as they handled Snotlout roughly, already halfway out the door. "No, take me instead! I'll tell Grimmel where the Hidden World is just don't hurt Snotlout!" He shouted, but the guards had already exited and slammed the door shut, taking Snotlout with them.

Extremely tired and exhausted, Snotlout didn't fight them, frowning as they led him off to a different room this time, an actual room with a desk and shelves and objects, an odd looking pole at the back of the room running through the ceiling and floor the only thing looking out of the unordinary.

Of course the guards threw Snotlout to the floor when they stepped inside, Snotlout groaning with pain, tiredly rolling over to his side, seeing the boots of Grimmel walk up to him, dread washing over him again.

"Hello again." Grimmel smirked. "How are we doing, hmm? Bring him right over there, boys."

Snotlout groaned and stumbled over his feet as the men picked him up and dragged him to the other side of the room. "Wh-What do you want from me now?" He groaned tiredly, completely exhausted mentally and physically.

He flinched as the men pushed his back up against the pole, wincing as he immediately pulled away, groaning when the men only held him back, so tired he could barely stand, not bothering to struggle when Blister and Bruise grabbed his arms and began tying his hands to the pole tightly above his head, undoing the shackles.

Grimmel came over with a smirk, watching pleasantly. "Did you not hear me before? I said I was going to torture you, make you suffer and clearly it's working."

Snotlout groaned as his knees buckled and he almost toppled over, the guards grabbing him and pushing him back up against the pole, his legs shaking as they tied the rope around his hands to the pole as tight as they possibly could in order to hold him there.

Snotlout sucked in a painful breath, flinching, attempting to pull away, frowning deeply. "Th-That's too tight!"

Grimmel cupped a hand over his mouth and gently pushed him back up against the pole, allowing the guards to tie Snotlout's ankles to the pole to force the boy to stay on his feet, Snotlout flinching at the touch with a whimper.

"Shhhhh…..don't fight it. You've already caused enough trouble for yourself as it is." Grimmel huffed at him, watching to make sure the men tied Snotlout's feet to the pole as tightly as they could.

Snotlout was flinching, so weak he was nearly toppling to the floor, the ropes now tied to the pole holding him back, whimpering helplessly, unable to even keep his head up or keep his eyes open, exhausted.

"Pl-Please let me go….." He squeaked out, making Grimmel smile at him, patting the boy's cheek softly.

"Check his hands."

Bruise reached up and gave the tight rope around Snotlout's hands a hard tug, making sure they were firmly tied in place, Snotlout's hands already discoloring, the rope tied too tightly for him.

Flinching at the tug, Snotlout sucked in a breath, shaking. "Ow….."

Grimmel patted his cheek again. "You'll be fine. I'll be back after awhile to check on you. In the meantime, enjoy your stay. Blister, the gag?"

Snotlout tiredly raised his head, hating how he couldn't move, trying to shift on his feet, needing to lie down, the ropes keeping him to the pole, despite his body being limp. "Pl-Please don't leave me here alone….please." He whimpered out with a deep frown, wide-eyed, completely hating how helpless he felt.

"Awwww…." Grimmel shook his head at him with a smirk, making a tsk tsk sound. "Poor thing….you'll be fine."

Snotlout shook his head no with scared eyes, suddenly feeling extremely vulnerable. "No, no….someone help me, pl-please…." He whimpered out faintly. "Please no more….."

"Hmmph. Just wait until you see what I have planned for you for tomorrow."

He heard Grimmel snort and felt a gag being shoved into his mouth, shaking his head no sadly with a whimper, biting down on the thick cloth when it was tied around his head, already hating it, opening his eyes to give Grimmel a pleading look, muffling out for someone to help him, helpless.

His fingers were going red by now at all the weight put on his bound hands from the pulling, knees continuing to buckle and give out, bound ankles not allowing him to fall forward, desperately wanting to be upon the ground again.

The men of course ignored him and walked out, leaving him all alone and Snotlout whimpered sadly, beginning to cry quietly.

Hating to be alone, especially when he was hurt and scared, he wished for Hookfang, wanting his comfort, crying harder when the reptile didn't appear, knowing he couldn't get through this alone, unable to take anymore of this suffering, wanting Hookfang to help him and get him out of this.

He wanted Hookfang to save him.

But Hookfang isn't there to save him. And without Hookfang to save him, at this point, Snotlout knew he wasn't going to get through this and that Grimmel was going to kill him.


	16. Rescue Me Part 3

**A/N: Y'all know the drill...**

 **Rescue Me Part 3**

Snotlout weakly raised his head when he heard the click of the door opening, frowning deeply at Grimmel as he entered, sniffing a little, trying to shift on his feet to move around, unable to thanks to the ropes of course.

Grimmel just eyed him as if nothing was wrong, coming over with a smirk, Snotlout flinching away as much as the pole would allow him, holding his breath as he stood still with fearful anticipation.

Grimmel didn't say anything to him, surprisingly, instead coming over and using a small knife to cut through the ropes around Snotlout's hands and ankles, finally freeing him.

Snotlout toppled forwards to the ground immediately, landing hard on his shoulder with a groan, coughing a little as he removed the gag from his mouth, relieved to finally be off his feet, legs shaking badly.

Cowering and not daring to move upon the floor now, Snotlout looked up at Grimmel with big eyes as he panted, trying to find the will to speak to cuss at the man. Everything still ached and hurt and he was just so tired, feeling too weak and helpless to do anything.

He shrunk back with a gasp when he saw Grimmel reach down for him, shaking his head no quickly, flinching when Grimmel grabbed ahold of him by his tunic, picking him up and shoving him along.

"Come on, let's go."

Snotlout stumbled over his feet and whimpered as the man took him out and down the hall, shaking with fear as he assumed Grimmel was taking him back to the 'torture room,' panting as he didn't have enough strength to struggle, attempting to stay on his feet the best he could, tripping several times, Grimmel keeping him upright.

To Snotlout's relief he was only taken to Hiccup's cell, Grimmel tossing him inside carelessly with a slam of the door, Snotlout tumbling and rolling across the floor until he was on his side, whimpering though he was grateful to be on the floor again. "H-Hey!"

Grimmel remained silent as he glared through the metal bars at them, turning away but stopping when he heard Hiccup shout.

"Grimmel!" He practically roared as he stomped up to the door, Snotlout's eyes widening in surprise. "I'd like a word with you! How dare you hurt my cousin! What have you done to him now?!" Hiccup's voice was dripping with venom and anger, Snotlout watching with an open mouth, hardly ever seeing Hiccup get so angry.

Grimmel looked at Hiccup almost with boredom, brow raising. Hiccup panted with anger, gripping the bars tightly, glaring. "Answer me!" He spat.

The two eyed each other down nose-to-nose as it was uneasily quiet between the two of them, Grimmel suddenly turning to walk away, having said nothing.

"Grimmel!" Hiccup barked again, growling. "Get back here! And next time you hurt someone, you hurt me, not Snotlout, you understand me?! Hurt me!"

But Grimmel was already gone.

Snotlout watched Hiccup expectantly as he remained on the floor, a hand held at his side.

"Snotlout, are you alright?" Hiccup came over, looking worried, lips pursed together, bending down next to him, seeming to look him over.

Snotlout sighed tiredly, shaking his head a little. "I'm really tired, Hiccup. But other than that i'm fine."

Hiccup quickly raised a brow. "Fine? But Grimmel kept you all night, what the Thor did he do to you this time?"

"Don't worry about it," Snotlout stated, trying to sit up a little, wincing, quickly lying back down again.

Hiccup continued to frown, watching him, feeling so guilty and sorry for his cousin. "How-How do you feel? I-I know you were hurting a lot last night….."

Snotlout frowned at him, swallowing with embarrassment as he remembered crying in front of him. "Everything still hurts. But I think i'll manage. I just need to rest."

Hiccup's eyebrows furrowed. "When those guards come back i'm not letting them take you again, I'll have Grimmel hurt me instead. I've had enough of him hurting you, now it's my turn."

Snotlout coughed a little, frowning at him. "Hiccup, trust me, you do not want any of what Grimmel did to me, ever. Just let me keep handling it. I'm the one supposed to be keeping you safe anyways."

"What? Me?! Snotlout, look at you! I can't let you go through any more of this! Grimmel's literally torturing you! And what about me, i'm supposed to be protecting you too….." Hiccup huffed.

Snotlout was too tired to be arguing with him right now, closing his eyes. "Hiccup, enough. Just shut up and quit worrying. It's not like you're the one getting hurt anyways."

"But I can't just let you keep getting hurt! Grimmel could kill you! How could I possibly just sit here and let you go out there again and allow you to get hurt?!"

"Because i'm used to it!" Snotlout suddenly snapped, not realizing until after it had been said, eyes widening a little, turning away.

"I'm just used to it, okay?" He murmured more quietly this time, frowning softly. "And believe me, Hiccup, it's better this way. Not to be insulting but I am a lot stronger and tougher than you. Grimmel would only kill you."

Hiccup frowned at him, quiet a moment. "And what if he kills _you_?"

"Then at least I will end my life knowing I saved yours."

* * *

Snotlout slept soundly upon the floor, badly needing the rest, frowning as he was rudely awakened by the guards returning again, of course.

Hiccup dashed over in front of him hurriedly and Snotlout sat up a little, frowning at Bruise and Blister when they entered.

"Take-Take me! Don't take Snotlout again!" Hiccup panted, looking angered and determined, fists clenched at his sides. Snotlout just frowned at him; did Hiccup not remember the conversation they had just had?

"Actually, we're taking both of you this time." Blister huffed, grabbing at Hiccup with the other guards, Bruise coming over to grab Snotlout, who didn't dare fight them, hurting too much, frowning as he scooped him up roughly.

He remained silent as he was carried down the all-too familiar halls, figuring he should save any ounce of strength he still had left, knowing that whatever Grimmel had planned for them this time, wasn't going to be too good.

He watched Hiccup ahead of him, making sure Blister wasn't being too rough with his cousin, hoping Hiccup wasn't coming with to get punished too because Snotlout already knew he wasn't going to allow that to happen.

Hiccup wasn't struggling and neither was he and when they were both taken into the 'Torture Room' again, they landed on the hard concrete with a loud 'oof' as they were each tossed carelessly, Snotlout wincing with pain from his cracked ribs and still hurting welts.

Weakly, he tried to push himself up to a sitting position, frowning when he saw Grimmel approaching, using all of his strength to sit up, which he couldn't even do that, leaning propped up on his elbows instead.

 _What crap does Grimme have planned now?_ Was all he could think, scowling a little, already knowing his body couldn't take much more.

"How are we this morning?" Grimmel smiled down at the boys as he approached, watching Snotlout struggle with an all but too pleased smirk.

Before Snotlout could swear at the man, Hiccup was the first to speak instead. "You are going to pay for what you've done to him, Grimmel. I'll kill you myself if I have to."

Grimmel instantly started laughing, looking highly amused, wiping at his eye. "Kill me? Please. I'd like to see you try, Dragon Conqueror." He huffed, sneering.

 _Dragon Conqueror? Haven't heard that term in a long time….._

Snotlout watched with a frown as Hiccup growled, who looked like he wanted to lunge forward and strangle the man if it weren't for his bound wrists holding him back.

"Just you wait." Hiccup growled with a glare. "I'm going to make you suffer just like my cousin has, only worse."

"Ah, yes, your cousin," Grimmel was chuckling lowly, peering gleefully down at Snotlout again. "He seems to be holding up nicely, surprisingly, although last night….." Grimmel's voice trailed off and Snotlout couldn't help but lower his head at the memory of breaking down, frowning deeply with embarrassment and shame.

"You leave him alone!" Hiccup snapped. "You're not going to hurt him anymore. You can hurt me instead."

Grimmel turned to face him, looking a little surprised as if he wasn't expecting this. "Or, you could tell me where the Hidden World is now and this will all be over."

Snotlout looked at Hiccup with big eyes, giving him a look that said, 'Don't you dare do it' and Hiccup offered him a slight nod, looking back up at Grimmel with anger. "I will never let you find them. You can't get it out of me."

Grimmel stood tall, peering down at him with a brow raised, seeming to huff as he began turning away. "Very well then. We shall see."

Snotlout was suddenly grabbed by the guards as Grimmel motioned at them with a single finger, the boy yelping with surprise and pain as the twin brothers dragged him over to some sort of table, Snotlout stumbling and tripping over his feet, holding back a yelp as they dropped him, holding his stomach with pain as he tried to blink away the stars in his vision.

"Grimmel! I said you weren't going to hurt him anymore!" Hiccup shouted with anger and two guards grabbed him by his arms, pulling him to his feet and holding him back as he tried to get away.

Grimmel laughed again and Snotlout almost shuddered, hating him, opening his eyes to glare at him from the floor, wanting to sit up but he knew he wouldn't be able to, reminding himself he needed to save his strength anyways.

"Of course not, my dear boy," Grimmel just looked much too happy. "And I'm not going to. But he is."

Everyone turned their heads as a new figure entered the room, his footsteps seeming to echo within the eerie halls.

Snotlout instantly recognized him and a gasp escaped his lips before he could stop himself. It was the masked man, the one who had tortured him and Snotlout felt himself go white and rigid with fear, shaking his head no with big eyes.

"You can't hurt him again! Snotlout!" Hiccup shouted from the other side of the room as he struggled against the guards, sounding scared and desperate all at once.

Snotlout began to whimper as the guards picked him up. "W-Wait, no-no, wh-what are you going to do to me? N-No, n-not again!" They held onto his arms roughly, Snotlout panicking with fear, shaking, not wanting to get whipped again, the sounds of the whip striking him ringing through his ears again, haunting him.

"Pay close attention, boy," Grimmel announced in Hiccup's direction with a grin as the masked man made his way over to Snotlout. "And just remember, you caused this. As for you, Snotlout, well….I needn't say more."

Snotlout was still whimpering as the man approached him, shaking as Bruise grabbed his left arm and put his hand onto the table in front of him, Blister and another guard holding onto him firmly and tightly to hold him still.

"No, no!" Snotlout struggled, trying hard not to let his legs buckle underneath him so he wouldn't collapse, breathing heavily with fear, cowering as the strange man stood before him. "Stop, stop! Don't-don't hurt me, just let me go!"

He didn't even know what they were going to do to him but either way, Snotlout was scared. Not to mention Hiccup was watching. He couldn't let Hiccup see him get hurt.

He pulled at the men squeezing his arms, trying to bring his hand off the table but Bruise held him there, growling lowly with a sneer, Snotlout unable to move as they all held him still, looking up with frightened eyes to the man who still hadn't spoken a word.

He could hear Hiccup shouting in the background but he hardly listened, focusing on the man, trying to figure out what he was going to do to him.

He then saw him pull out something from his belt and Snotlout gasped with horror when he saw what it was, feeling all the color drain from his face as he nearly wet himself with fear.

It appeared to be a cleaver knife, but either way it was a knife and Snotlout shook his head no as he finally realised what they were going to do.

"No, no, no no no! No please, wait!" He begged, pulling and struggling to get away desperately, whimpering as the guards only held him still, Bruise still keeping his hand upon the table. "No, please don't! Please!"

Hiccup was still shouting but Snotlout couldn't hear him, gasping as he saw the man lift up the knife, trying his hardest to hold back his tears. "Oh Gods no, please don't!"

And then it happened. The man brought the blade down and with a scream, Snotlout's pinky finger was gone.

Actually it wasn't gone, it was there on the table where Snotlout could see it. But it was no longer attached to his hand.

Snotlout was screaming and blubbering with tears, stumbling backwards as the guards let him drop to the floor, clutching his bleeding hand in agony, blood dripping down his hand everywhere.

"Snotlout!" Hiccup screamed, but was still restrained, unable to do anything but watch. Grimmel was laughing in the background and Snotlout, he only continued to sob.

His pinky is gone. Only four fingers are left. Snotlout gasped to breathe as he cried and sobbed, white spots dancing across his vision, his head all dizzy and hurting, lying limp on the floor as blood kept pouring out of his hand, staining his other.

The pain was awful, gods it hurt. Tears kept coming out of his eyes as he shook his head with pain, grasping his numb hand tightly, whimpering and sniveling as he shook with pain.

Hands were suddenly grabbing at him and he gasped as Blister grabbed his arm, holding out his hand. "No, no!"

He winced and flinched, watching through his tears as they wrapped an old cloth around his hand and his now missing pinky, seeming to bandage it though not quite as well as a healer might, doing a poor job, giving Snotlout back his hand to cradle gently when they were finished.

Snotlout sniffled and just continued to grasp his bleeding hand gently, face contorted in pain.

Hearing footsteps, he glanced up through tears to see Grimmel before him.

"How-How could you?" Snotlout choked out with a whimper, the guilt of failure coursing through him, unable to even imagine what his father would think of him when he found out he had let himself lose his own finger.

Grimmel chuckled with a dark smile. "Don't think I'll stop at your fingers. Next it'll be your hand, then your other hand and then a foot and hell, maybe even a leg."

Snotlout shuddered with fear, shaking his head no, horrified at the thought, not even sure if he'd be able to survive it, whimpering as he continued to cry. "N-No. No more…."

"Grimmel! You bastard!" Hiccup was shouting, and Grimmel stood, going over to the frantically struggling boy.

Hiccup's eyes were pricked with tears. "I told you to leave him alone! Now look at what you've done to him! You'll pay for this!" Grimmel scoffed, looking unfazed.

"You want to know where the Hidden World is? Fine. But you can't hurt Snotlout anymore." Hiccup's voice was shaky and Snotlout lifted his head with wide eyes, quickly shaking his head no, not wanting Hiccup to tell Grimmel, knowing that meant the evil man would go after his Hookfang.

"The Hidden World, it's-" Hiccup continued, panting with anger as he stood nose-to-nose with Grimmel. "It's at the edge of the world. But good luck finding it." He spat into the man's face, who only wiped it away with an arm, cocking his head almost curiously.

"The edge of the world? Hmmph."

Snotlout shook his head with a whimper as he frowned deeply upon the floor, disappointed in Hiccup for giving in and telling him, knowing Hookfang would now be in danger, sucking in a frightened breath as he continued to grasp his hand gingerly.

He continued to stare at the spot where his finger used to be, shuddering with a sniffle, unable to believe his finger was gone, still horrified and in shock as he watched the once white cloth redden with his own blood.

He felt terrible, miserable more like it. Everything hurt and he felt awful, wishing he was with his parents, though he knew his father would be furious with him when he finds out, just wanting their comfort and to be anywhere but here.

Even he knew he couldn't take much more of this. He just felt...broken.

And knowing he had just lost his pinky and would never be able to get it back made him feel much worse and he then felt sick to his stomach, continuing to cry.

"Bring them back to their cell, but chain them both up." Grimmel was saying though Snotlout barely heard, whimpering when he was scooped up and brought down the hallway and back to their cell.

He watched Blister sadly with a sniffle as he was shackled into handcuffs, connecting him to the wall, trapping him, watching Bruise do the same to Hiccup.

Snotlout merely sat on his knees when Blister was finished, listening to Hiccup cuss out and struggle against the guards, earning a punch to the stomach when he wouldn't keep still.

"You bastards! You leave us alone! When we get free, i'm gonna-"

The brothers just ignored him, walking out when they finished with a slam of the door.

Hiccup let out a snarl of fury and continued to flail and struggle against the chains, kicking as if that would get him free.

From where he sat on the other side of their cell, Snotlout sighed sadly, watching a lone tear slide down his face and to the floor, frowning deeply as Hiccup continued to rant and rage on.

"I swear if Toothless were here, i'd have him eat those guards…." Hiccup panted, looking over at Snotlout as he finally stopped. "Hey, you okay? How-how's your hand?"

Snotlout glared at him a little, not liking when Hiccup asked such obvious questions. "You tell me." He huffed, trying to glance back at his injured hand that remained shackled behind him, the pain still awful and sending constant waves of pain through him that made him want to scream.

A sort of sigh came out of Hiccup's mouth and he lowered his head. "Ah Snotlout, i'm so sorry…..I shoulda jus-"

"Hiccup, please," Snotlout cut him off. "Just shut up. Okay?" He really didn't have time to deal with this right now, still trying to stop himself from crying, finding it was almost impossible as it felt there was nothing else to do but cry.

Hiccup frowned at him, swallowing hard. "Oh. Oh, okay." But then he shut up.

It now quiet between the two of them, Snotlout's gaze went to the floor, frowning deeply as all he could think about was getting beat up, losing his finger, Hiccup giving up the location of the Hidden World, Hookfang, and his parents.

He continued to cry, though it was silent. He would die of embarrassment if he dared cry in front of Hiccup, again. Instead, single tears seemed to fall from his eyes one by one, dripping to the floor with faint plips and plops.

He hung his head in shame, feeling entirely defeated, having no strength or any fight left in him. Now, all Snotlout could do is sit there and wait, hoping to get out of this hellish nightmare.

After several long minutes of just silence, Hiccup suddenly spoke and this time Snotlout didn't object.

"I just can't stop thinking about it." He started in a quiet, somber voice. "What's taking Astrid so long?" He looked up at Snotlout with big eyes, making the boy frown deeply.

He had honestly forgotten all about Astrid. He couldn't even remember how many days it had been since then.

Two? Maybe three? What with all the time spent sitting around in their cell it felt like four or five days had gone past.

Frowning, Snotlout spoke softly. "She's knows what she's doing, Hiccup. She must be gathering up her forces."

"But she shoulda been here by now. She must be in trouble. I-I gotta do something to help her!"

"Hiccup, how are you doing to do that?" Snotlout sighed tiredly at him, shaking his head no slowly. "You're stuck here, remember? She's fine, she's prolly off getting help from Dagur and Mala."

Hiccup let out a long sigh, staring at the ground. "I just want to get out of here. Get you out of here. We-We can't take much more of this. And if Grimmel now knows, he's gonna-"

"Why did you tell him?" Snotlout questioned with a hard look, saying it as more of a statement than a question.

"What?"

"Why did you tell him where the Hidden World is?" Snotlout repeated, growling a little this time with a glare. "You didn't have to tell him, you shouldn't have, now he'll-"

"Snotlout, if it means he'll stop hurting you than of course I had to tell him." Hiccup said seriously. "He cut your finger off for Thor's sake! You-You can't take more of this and you shouldn't have to. Besides, you know if Grimmel somehow finds it, Toothless will take care of him before he even gets the chance to hurt any dragon. They'll be fine, _Hookfang_ will be fine, it's you i'm worried about."

Snotlout frowned at him, clenching his jaw tightly. "Hookfang better be okay, Hiccup. If Grimmel hurts him in any way i'll never forgive myself."

"That won't happen." Hiccup stated, getting down to sit on his knees as well with a sigh. "I just wish Astrid would get here. I'm so worried about her."

Snotlout frowned, holding back a sigh. _This again._

"You know Snotlout when we get out of here, i'm gonna have the whole village build a statue of you, just to show how brave you've been getting through this and all, my Gods."

Snotlout lifted his head with raised eyebrows, surprised, though he didn't quite think Hiccup was being serious. Normally he would be overjoyed and thrilled at the thought of a statue of him being built, but he was too tired to even smile now.

Quiet a moment as he stared at the floor, he eventually spoke. "I just can't stop thinking about my parents. What's my father gonna think of me?" He hung his head with a frown, taking in a deep breath. "If they're even still alive."

Hiccup frowned at him, looking sincere. "Snotlout, they're fine. I'm sure they are. And i'm sure they're just as worried about you as you are about them."

Snotlout's frown deepened as he sniffled softly, already knowing his father couldn't be worried about him, he doesn't care about him. "I just wish I could see them, make sure they're alright. I-I wanna see them in case I-" He paused, biting the inside of his cheek. "Don't make it outta this alive. I at least wanna say my goodbyes."

Hiccup almost gasped at what Snotlout said. "Snotlout, you-you can't die! I-I won't let you! Grimmel, he-he's not going to hurt you anymore anyways, I told him where the Hidden World is. Snotlout, you-you can't give up hope, you're-you're going to get through this. You hear me?"

Snotlout shrugged a little, not liking how Hiccup could be so hopeful, already knowing himself that without Hookfang there to help him, he's a goner.

Not wanting to disappoint his cousin however, all he said was "Sure. We'll see." And that was that and it went back to being quiet and alone with their thoughts.

* * *

A few hours later, the door to their cell was being opened and Hiccup looked up to see the twins walk in. Not the twin twins, but the Blister and Bruise twins.

At first Hiccup assumed they were bringing them some food, him and Snotlout quite starving, watching them hopefully, hopes quickly vanishing when they went over to Snotlout and began unshackling him.

"H-Hey, what are you doing with him? You can't take him again, you can't! I-I told Grimmel where the Hidden World is!" Hiccup objected, struggling against the chains and watching with wide eyes as they grabbed his cousin by the arms, dragging him out.

Snotlout did his best to hold back his whimpers, looking back at Hiccup with big eyes, not wanting to be taken away and tortured again, frowning deeply as they left Hiccup behind, slamming the door shut despite his yells, taking Snotlout down the hall, who gulped.

 _No more. Please no more. I can't take anymore of this, I can't!_

He thought of his missing pinky again, the spot where it used to be still throbbing painfully and his hand just felt all tingly and weird, clearly trying to deal with the loss of blood, there barely being anything but a stub left, making Snotlout all queasy as he remembered the feeling of it getting chopped off again.

When he was tossed to the floor at Grimmel's feet, Snotlout shook his head with a sigh. "You have got to be one of the most cruelest men alive." He continued to glare as Grimmel laughed. "What do you want with me now?"

Grimmel snorted. "Clearly you don't seem to understand how this torture thing works. How's your hand by the way?"

Snotlout balled his fists with a snarl, though flinched at the movement from his missing finger, unclenching it, glad it was only his left hand so he could still fight with his dominant hand.

"Ah that's quite alright. I'm sure you won't miss it, anyway. You'll barely even notice it's gone by the time Ragnar's through with you."

Snotlout's eyes widened at the familiar name, frowning as fear surged through him. "What? You don't mean...?"

He stopped when he heard footsteps, mouth dropping open when he saw Ragnar step forward beside Grimmel, squeaking as he felt himself go pale again as the tall man practically the size of a building loomed over him.

"N-No, he-he can't, you can't…." Snotlout whimpered as he shook his head no, starting to crawl away shakily, desperately not wanting to get beaten to a pulp again.

Grimmel just of course laughed again, watching in amusement. "Ha ha, of course he can! And we'll all enjoy it too! Now careful Ragnar, the boy just lost a finger." He huffed with a grin and Snotlout whimpered as he tried to scramble to his feet to run away, petrified with fear, yelping when he felt Ragnar's arm wrap around his throat, pulling him off the ground.

Snotlout gasped and then screamed, kicking, squirming around desperately as Ragnar held him up against his chest, the man then throwing him to the ground without warning, Snotlout groaning with pain as he landed, clutching his ribs in pain, struggling to breathe.

Looking up, he tried to get to his feet again but he was too weak and not fast enough, Ragnar's fist slamming into him before he could flinch away, yelping as he impacted straight into the wall.

Falling to the ground, he immediately began to cry as pain surged through him, ribs and stomach screaming at him in pain, looking up with fear as Ragnar came stomping up to him again.

"N-No, please no," Snotlout whimpered as he shook his head no, all but reminded of his father and how he would cower down before him and beg him to stop every time he got a beating even though Spitelout never listened to him, sniffling at the thought, remembering those sixteen years of getting beaten, suddenly reminded of how much of a failure he is.

 _"Yer not a Jorgenson! Yer jus' a disappointment!"_

Snotlout screamed in pain when he got punched again, lying limp upon the ground as he cried helplessly.

 _"Oh come on son! Fight back! Don't be a weakling!"_

Ragnar's fist grabbed him and pulled him to his feet, the man's fist colliding into his stomach, Snotlout dropping to the floor like a bag full of rocks, gasping to breathe as the pain blinded him, shaking badly as everything smarted with agony, making him want to scream.

 _"I wish you had never been born, ye screw up! I hate you!"_

Ragnar's fist sent him flying into the wall again and as Snotlout crumbled upon the floor, he broke down, unable to take any more pain, covering his face with his hands as he sobbed.

"No, no stop! No more! I-I'm sorry, Daddy, i'm sorry! Please don't hurt me anymore, i'm sorry! Please….Mom, Dad, i-i-i'm sorry! I'm sorry…."

Ragnar stopped before the boy with his fists mid-air and raised a brow, glancing at Grimmel for an answer with a shrug, Grimmel coming over with a confused look on his face.

Snotlout continued to sniffle and whimper, choking on sobs as tears poured down his face and into his hands. "Pl-please Daddy, please, i-i'll be good, I swear just please st-stop!"

Peering down at him, Grimmel tapped his chin in thought, soon seeming to perk up, the evil glint returning in his eye, turning to the guards.

"You there, find me this boy's parents and bring them to me at once. Now, go!"

The guards hurried out and he smiled down at Snotlout, who hadn't heard nor noticed, ushering Ragnar aside to talk, figuring the crying boy would only continue to lie there helplessly, not expecting him to be any sort of a problem.

Indeed Snotlout continued to cry, for what felt like hours really. But what else could he do? He was so weak and defenseless and he doubted he'd be able to even stand up, nevertheless walk around.

He just laid there curled up, not paying any mind to Grimmel or the remaining guards chatting to themselves, only continuing to lie there and cry into his hands like a wee baby, frowning deeply at himself for being so helpless, hating to be such a failure.

Sniffling, it was only when Snotlout heard a familiar voice several minutes later did he lift his face from his hands, eyebrows furrowing as he listened to the approaching voice get louder, slowly sitting up with anticipation.

"Get yer bugger hands off me! You let go of us! When I get free, i'm going to cut you lot to pieces, you bleeping maggots! Get. Offa. Me!"

It took four men alone to keep ahold of Spitelout, finally managing to bring him and his wife in, stopping them before Grimmel, Spitelout still continuing to thrash around and swear at them in fury.

From across the room, Snotlout's mouth fell open and somehow a burst of energy surging through him allowed him to push himself up, smiling widely at the sight of his parents before him, completely relieved. "Dad!"

Upon hearing the sound of their son's voice, Spitelout and June looked over to see Snotlout at the other side of the room, mouths dropping open and going wide-eyed at the sight of him, Spitelout going frozen mid-struggle.

"Snotlout?" His expression was undoubtedly a mix of relief and then shock and horror upon seeing his son's condition, green eyes wide as he stared open-mouthed.

Snotlout was still grinning as he managed to get to his feet, jogging towards them on his wobbly legs with outstretched arms, hoping to embrace them, gasping with a squeak when Grimmel suddenly picked him up by his tunic. He held him off the ground which made him squirm and whimper as Grimmel himself laughed.

"Hey!" Spitelout snapped with a tug at the guards, his anger returning, shooting daggers at Grimmel, looking murderous.

"Awww, what a happy reunion…..too bad it will have to end so soon when I kill you all one by one…."

Grimmel laughed and Spitelout snarled with fury, knocking away the guards holding him back in seconds, lashing forward as a blur and slugging Grimmel in the face, who quickly fell to the ground, dropping Snotlout who landed with an 'oof', looking up in shock.

Spitelout stood in front of him protectively, looking absolutely outraged, fists balled tightly, looking down at Grimmel furiously, who looked up at him in shock, holding his face where he had been hit.

"You bastard! No one hurts my son! Or takes over our island! You're gonna rot in Valhalla when i'm through with you!" He shouted, seething with anger and Snotlout grinned from behind him, suddenly hopeful, knowing that if anyone could win a fight it was Spitelout.

Grimmel got to his feet, wiping a hand at his cheek, looking cross, clearly not expecting this. He offered a small chuckle.

"You think you can take me on? You must be a fool. Just like your son." He raised a brow coolly and Spitelout snarled again, throwing a fist, Grimmel dodging it and throwing a punch of his own but missed, Spitelout slamming his fist into his stomach hard, making him double over.

Snotlout grinned as he watched, almost cheering, finding himself nearly laughing. But out of the corner of his eye he saw Ragnar suddenly coming up to him, gasping as he found his celebrating to be short-lived.

He cried out when Ragnar grabbed him, dragging him away with a huff. "Dad! Help!"

Spitelout quickly looked over, growling when he saw, punching Grimmel away without even having to look at him as he started to go after Ragnar. "Oh no ye don't! Put me son down!"

He rushed over and Snotlout was so glad his father was quick on his feet, watching as he punched Ragnar before he even had time to react.

The Rock growled in pain but unfortunately didn't drop Snotlout, who squirmed and fought the best he could, pulling and wriggling to get away.

Spitelout bounced on his feet with fists raised, scowling, not hesitating another minute before he punched Ragnar again, this time in the face. The man let out a snarl and stumbled back a little, his eyes narrowing as he got angry now, swinging his fist at Spitelout, his other still holding Snotlout, Spitelout jumping out of the way and hitting him in the stomach, finally making Ragnar drop his son, who scrambled away quickly to get out of their way.

Now that Snotlout was free, Spitelout had more swinging range and he snarled as he swung, blocking Ragnar who threw counter punches, hitting him in the face as well as the chest. "Ye worthless scum! Thinking you can take over our island and then hurting my son?!" He practically roared, slugging Ragnar in the face and Snotlout swore he saw a tooth come flying from his mouth.

He stood towards the middle of the room as he watched the fight, obviously rooting for his father, flinching when he felt someone grab him but relaxed when he recognized the touch of his mother, who pulled him close. "Snotlout!"

He turned to face her with a wide grin, overjoyed to see her, quickly embracing her as he nuzzled into the nape of her neck, hugging her tightly. "Mom!"

Spitelout was still fighting with Ragnar, snarling in fury when the Rock managed to knock him down, glaring as the large man laughed at him, wiping at his cheek as he got back to his feet, already punching him again, this time Ragnar falling to the ground.

He then heard a low whistle, turning to see Grimmel had neared with a smirk as he side-stepped closer with fists raised, Spitelout raising a brow with a snort, quickly advancing towards him with a growl, furious.

It was times like these that Snotlout was actually grateful of his father's temper, the man never stepping down or backing out of a fight until he had won, Snotlout gaping happily as he watched his father punch Grimmel twice in the face, dodging Grimmel's own punches, who clearly was no match for him though he was trying.

He tried swinging a few more times, failing, before Spitelout punched him straight into the wall, grabbing him and pinning him there with a snarl, Grimmel letting out a sort of squeak, cowering. "Guards-Guards! Get him off me, get him!" He shouted and the guards were quick to obey, Snotlout gasping as he watched, still clinging to his mother.

Spitelout raised his fist with a snarl, holding Grimmel still. "Coward!" He roared and was about to swing but the guards advanced on him, grabbing his arms and pulling him back. Spitelout immediately began to fight them, even managing to knock a few away.

"Git your daft hands off me! Bastards! I'll kill you all!"

Snotlout whimpered as guards came up to him and his mother, men grabbing at her roughly, June keeping him close in her arms as he clung to her, Snotlout glaring at them as they began dragging them off, whimpering.

"Spitelout!" June called for her husband as they were pulled out of the room, the man turning towards her with fear as he too was being dragged off. "June!"

Grimmel stood up straight as he wiped at his face, eyes narrowed. "Take them away and get them outta my sight!"

Snotlout glared as he remained attached to his mother as they were dragged off down the hall, listening to his father's swearing and angered struggling from behind them, until they were soon brought to a cell and Snotlout gaped when he saw it wasn't the one where Hiccup was.

The men shoved June inside roughly, who growled at them with an angered glare, bending down to set Snotlout down gently, looking up when they brought Spitelout in, who refused to go anywhere past the door, planting his feet to the ground, elbowing at the guards furiously as they struggled to get him inside.

"Ye lot will never imprison me alive! I'll be dead before ye can ever cage me!"

The guards snarled and shoved at him, finally managing to push him inside and slam the door shut, Spitelout slamming himself against the door and grabbing at the bars instantly with a snarl.

The guards outside scrambled to get the key into the door to lock it and Spitelout reached through the bars and grabbed one, slamming his face hard into the door with a glare, the rest of the men scrambling and grabbing at his arm to hold him while they fumbled with the key.

Spitelout snarled when they pulled on his arm and pulled him up against the door, yanking back as he kicked the door as hard as he could, cussing out every single one of them, trying to pull his arm away to reach for the key.

He growled and managed to grab the man holding the key by his sleeve, letting out a hearty 'Ha ha!' as he aimed for the key, yelping suddenly as another sank his teeth right into his hand, pulling his arm back inside to hold it gingerly, snarling furiously when he heard them lock the door with a loud click.

"F***!" Spitelout roared and slammed himself into the door, already reaching out again, punching one in the face, kicking at the door and still swearing. "Get me outta here! When I get out, yer all dead! I'll bury you all me-self after I punch your skulls in!"

The guards outside were shouting and scrambling to keep Spitelout contained, whose back faced his wife and son who remained on the floor, not paying him much mind either.

"Oh Snotty, are you alright?" June was petting his hair, keeping him propped up by keeping a hand at his back, frowning deeply as she looked over all the bruises and black eye upon his face, seeing how bad off he really was, making her heart ache.

Snotlout was already beginning to cry, frowning deeply at her as he shook his head. "Oh Mama, it-it was awful, ev-everything h-hurts. I-I was so scared….!" He whimpered, squeezing her hand tightly when she grabbed his hand, wiping at his eye with the other.

"Oh Snotlout, we're here now, we're here baby…." June frowned deeply at him with watery eyes as well, feeling guilty and sorry for her son who she loved so much.

"Bastards!" At the door, Spitelout kicked the door again with a snarl, punching a guard straight in the nose who cried out in pain, making Snotlout flinch at the sound, continuing to frown up at his mother as he cried.

"Mama, I-I was so worried about you, I didn't know if you were okay and-and Grimmel, all-all he's done is hurt me, it-it's been so awful here, and-and-"

"Chew on that, will ya?!" Spitelout roared at the guards as he reached through the bars of the door and grabbed a man straight by his hair and yanked, using his other hand to grab at his throat. "Ha!"

"Ahhh!" The man screamed with pain and Snotlout flinched, glancing over at his father with fear as he sniffled, tears running down his face. "It-It hurts, Mom…" He whimpered.

June swallowed hard as she watched him, frowning softly at him with glossy eyes, holding her breath as Snotlout trembled. "Sh-Show me, son."

Snotlout tensed and shook his head no momentarily at her with fearful eyes, embarrassed and ashamed but frowned as he knew he could trust her, slowly undoing his shirt to reveal his bare chest with a whimper, squeezing his eyes shut tightly as he cried.

"F*** you!" One guard shouted as he punched Spitelout through the bars, the guards turning and taking their chance to run off as Spitelout stumbled back to hold his face with a growl, snarling when he saw them run off.

"Cowards! You got nothin' against me! We Jorgensons always win! You'll never hold me, you hear me?!" He snarled as he slammed up against the door again, shaking a fist at them, kicking the door furiously when they were all gone, panting heavily.

"That damn Grimmel and his men think they're so smug! We'll show them! I swear it! We'll be outta here in no time, them daft vermin, gah!" He continued to swear and mutter under his breath as he panted, frowning when he heard whimpers from behind him, raising a brow, rolling his eyes with a growl as he turned around.

"Rrrr, Snotlout! How many times have I told ye to stop cry-" Spitelout stopped and did a double-take when he saw his son, eyes going wide, his breath getting caught in his throat as fear washed over him, mouth dropping open.

Before his parents lay Snotlout with his chest and stomach exposed to reveal the bloody and horrific welts accompanied by black and blue bruises everywhere, crying into his hands and just barely peeking out between his fingers, frowning deeply.

Staring in horror at his injured son, Spitelout slowly came over with big, scared eyes and an opened mouth, slowly getting on his knees to sit before him, continuing to stare, a troubled look of pain upon his face. "B-Boy-o…."

Seeing his father had saw, Snotlout's whimpers got louder as he expected the worse, frowning deeply as he cried into his hands, squeezing his eyes shut tightly with fear.

Not taking his eyes off his son, Spitelout then saw Snotlout's hand, almost gasping as he reached forward and took it away from Snotlout's face gently, dread washing over him when he saw his son's pinky was indeed missing, a sick feeling washing over him, lips curling up in disgust and pained anger all at once.

Beside them, June was crying quietly and Snotlout whimpered at his father who still held his hand, choking on a sob as he began to apologize.

"D-Daddy, i-i'm so sorry, I-I tried to fight them off, I-I really did but I couldn't and I-I-I know I failed you but-but I just wasn't strong enough, i-i-i'm sorry….!" He choked out as he began to sit up, frowning deeply as he expected his father to completely explode at him.

Spitelout's eyes flickered, still open-mouthed, eyebrows etched together with pain, frowning at him. "Sorry? Don't be sorry, boy-o, come here…"

Spitelout scooped him up gently until he was sitting on his knees and pulled him into a hug, squeezing him gently, Snotlout not expecting this at all, startled, but nevertheless hugging his father tightly. He cried harder as he nestled his face into Spitelout's fur cape, who swayed with him gently, exchanging a sad glance with his wife over his son's shoulder.

Snotlout continued to blubber and cry, eyes squeezed tightly as he sobbed into the fur. "I-I'm sorry, Dad, I-I'm sorry I let you down, I-I tried, but-But I just, i'm sorry…."

"Hey, hey," Spitelout gently pulled him away, frowning at him as he ran a hand over his son's hair carefully. "Where's the big, strong warrior I raised? Where's my warrior Snotty?"

Snotlout frowned deeply at his father's nickname for him as a child, sniffling as his lip quivered, looking into his father's eyes sadly. "H-Here."

"And why is my son crying? Jorgensons don't cry." Spitelout remained quiet and calm as he stared into his son's eyes, running a hand through his hair softly, frowning when he could feel dried blood on his son's scalp.

Snotlout wiped an arm across his face, sniffling as he continued to whimper.

Staring at his crying son, Spitelout frowned at him to see his son so broken, Snotlout's face merging into visions of when he was younger and Spitelout had to take care of him then too, though maybe not as gently as he was now, but though he may not be showing it, his heart was aching to see Snotlout like this.

"Now, you are my son. You're strong, you're tough. You're going to get through this. Ye can't lose hope. Yer mum and I will be right here to protect ye from now on. Warriors don't quit, remember?" A brow raised, he put a gentle hand on Snotlout's shoulder and Snotlout whimpered, hugging him again, which Spitelout allowed, gently patting his son's back.

"Th-Thanks Dad," Snotlout whimpered as he trembled, feeling like a little child again. "Bu-But i-i'm so scared. I-I don't have Hookfang with me….."

"Hey, it's gonna be alright, boy-o." Spitelout gently swayed with him, offering a small kiss to his son's hair, eyebrows slowly furrowing. "We're here now. I'll get revenge on Grimmel for this, don't worry. I won't let anything else happen to you. But ye gotta stay strong for us, ya hear?"

Snotlout pulled away, rubbing at his eyes with a sniffle, managing to nod at his father, still frightened however.

Spitelout nodded with a narrowed expression. "Good. I can't believe this, Grimmel, that bastard!" He clenched his fist tightly with a snarl and Snotlout now went to hug his mother, snuggling into her warm fur tunic as she too swayed with him and kissed his head.

"Imma kill him!" Spitelout vowed, getting to his feet. "Nobody hurts my family!"

Snotlout half-paid attention to him, looking up to his mother instead, sniffling. "Mama, I want Hookfang…..and Hiccup-"

"Wait, the Chief's here?" Spitelout questioned, raising a brow but Snotlout didn't answer him, continuing. "He-he told Grimmel where the Hidden World is and now he's going to go after Hooky, I-I can't anything happen to him, Mama….!"

"Hey, it's alright dear, nothing's going to happen to Hookfang….." June kept rocking him, petting his hair softly. "He and the other dragons will be fine."

Snotlout wiped at his eye with a sniffle, eyes big. "Promise?"

His mother nodded, kissing his forehead. "I'm sure of it, Snotty."

"So the chief's here too? What's going on with him?" Spitelout huffed with hands on his hips, looking slightly cross.

"Dad, you can't be mad at Hiccup for all this, it wasn't his fault. But Grimmel hasn't done anything to him yet, he's just been hurting me." Snotlout said quietly, frowning at them both.

"Well how is that fair?! He's the chief…..!"

"Dad, I wouldn't let Grimmel hurt him, alright? He doesn't deserve that."

"Oh, I see, playing the Hero card are we now? Well now jus' look at ye! You're-"

"Spitelout, that's enough." June stopped her husband with a frown. "We don't need to argue at a time like this. Besides, I think our Snotty's catching a fever…." She had the back of her hand against Snotlout's forehead, frowning.

Spitelout frowned, anger rising, fists clenching again. "Sick? Oh, that's jus' great….Grimmel, i'm coming for you, ye here?!" He shouted, shaking his fist into the air.

Snotlout frowned at his mother. "Am I really getting sick Mom?"

"Honey, look at you. You barely have any color in your skin, your head feels hot and if all they've been doing is….hurting you than that's not good for your system. Have you been eating?"

"Once. They don't feed us much." Snotlout frowned, rubbing at his sore eyes, having forgotten about how hungry he was, suddenly starving again.

"Besides, it's probably from your hand, son." June continued, gently picking up Snotlout's hand with a frown. "It's probably getting infected from not being treated properly."

Snotlout stared down at his hand with a deep frown, eyeing the little stub of what was left of his finger, shuddering at the sight of the rag that had been "bandaged" around it, it hardly being a rag anymore, soaked and dried with blood by now, looking wet and useless.

Beside them, Spitelout growled, stomping over to kick the wall with a yell. "Bastards!" He then yelped, clutching his foot in pain, swearing down at it.

"Spitelout…..take it easy, dear…." June frowned over at him.

"No time for that now, lassie," Spitelout huffed, dropping his foot with a scowl. "I've gotta get my revenge."

Snotlout frowned, getting to his feet, starting to come over. "Dad, how do you plan to-" His legs suddenly wobbled and gave out from underneath him, sending him falling with a strangled gasp.

"Whoa, whoa, easy lad!" Spitelout reached forward and caught him, frowning at him with worry. Snotlout hung limp in his father's arms, wincing and panting a little, suddenly dizzy and weak.

"Son, you shouldn't be moving around. Why don't you come over and sit down?" June came over, talking in a soft voice, frowning at their son in concern.

Snotlout didn't feel like sitting down, but he was so tired and weak he figured he'd better. "Yeah. Yeah, okay." He managed to stand and carefully walk over to the bench, a hand to his head gently, sitting down with a deep sigh, frowning.

His mother was soon beside him, letting him lean on her and rest his head on her shoulder.

Spitelout was watching with a cross look, clearly upset. "When I get my hands on that Grimmel, i'll squeeze the life outta 'em! He won't be The Grisly for long; instead he'll be Grimmel The Goner!"

"Dad, how do you plan on doing that? We're stuck here, remember?" Snotlout sighed tiredly, eyes closed. "Besides, there's guards everywhere."

"And what kind of attitude is that?" Spitelout huffed. "A few guards don't scare me. You may be injured son, but i'm not. I've still got a fighting spirit and i'll do anythin' to get us outta here."

"That's not going to work, Dad. Grimmel's not just going to let you kill him." Snotlout frowned, shaking his head a little. His Dad wasn't always the brightest after all.

"He will when he gets a good look at how angry I am! And who are you to tell me I can't kill him? You think I can't do it?" Spitelout growled with a huff, getting defensive, thinking he was being threatened.

"Spitelout, enough. Our son is hurt for Thor's sake and he does have a point: getting revenge won't be as easy as you think." June frowned at him, rubbing Snotlout's shoulder gently, petting his hair now and then.

Spitelout pointed to his chest. "I'll show ye both! I'll get us all out!"

"Dear, enough. You're acting like a child." June frowned at him, giving him a look that said 'Shut up'. "Besides, show a little more concern for your son."

"I am!" Spitelout extended his hands out, voice raising an octave. "I'm plotting my revenge for him! I care!"

Snotlout frowned at them both, watching tiredly, leaning against his mother, tired and sore, suddenly sleepy, feeling helpless, wondering if Hiccup was okay all by himself, admittedly missing him.

June continued to pet her son's hair and frown at him worriedly. "Oh son, I do wish you could eat something. Give you more strength."

Snotlout shrugged a little with a frown, thinking of Hookfang sadly, wondering if he'd ever be able to see him again if Grimmel was going after them. "I'll be okay." He murmured, already beginning to accept he might not get outta this alive.

Spitelout's eyebrows furrowed and he scowled with a snort, marching up to the door. "I'll show ya….hey!" He shouted through the bars at the nearest passing guard, growling.

The man turned, slowly coming over as he tightened the grip on the handle of his sword, giving Spitelout a distrustful look.

"Bring my son something to eat, you worthless pile of yak dung!" He demanded with impatience. The guard laughed. "You'll have to say please first." He taunted.

Spitelout snarled. "Bring it to me or else!"

"Ha ha, yeah right." The guard huffed with a snort, shaking his head with a glare.

Fed up, Spitelout reached out a fist and slugged him, letting out a furious snarl as he cussed.

"Real smooth, dear." June said to him dryly with a disapproving look, turning her attention back to Snotlout worriedly.

Spitelout growled and began pacing around, having too much anger and impatience in him to remain still. "Well they won't keep me in here, that's for sure. I'll bust outta here if it kills me!"

"Spitelout, just stop." June frowned at him. "Clearly you're not helping your son by pacing around and raving like a mad man. And personally you're not helping me either."

"Well what do you know, woman? At least i'm willing to make an escape!"

"An escape that may very well get us all killed."

"Well at least we'll die tryin', instead of wasting away in here!" Spitelout huffed, continuing to pace.

Snotlout, half-awake, watched them boredly, too tired to object. It wasn't like his father was going to stop anyways. But at least he was here with them, knowing they were safe and his mother could keep tending to him, something he indeed found very helpful and comforting.

And his father made him feel a little better, sorta. But his mother was right: he could do without his father's constant pacing and raves. It really put him on edge.

He wished Hiccup could be there with them too, so he wouldn't have to worry about him and whether or not Grimmel was starting to torture him too. Besides, he wanted to stay with his cousin, it made him feel better and that was the only way they could protect each other, after all.

Despite his father's loud and consistent arguing and swearing of vengeance, Snotlout dozed off, sleeping soundly as he sat there against his mother, managing to dream about the three of them escaping and finally being free though even he could tell in his sleep that freedom still seemed to be a long ways away.

* * *

"Snotlout, Snotlout, wake up…."

"Huh?" Snotlout opened his eyes groggily, sitting up to rub at his eyes as his mother shook him. "What is it?"

"The guards are coming, son."

"You two get to the back, i'll handle this." Spitelout declared and Snotlout barely had any time to fully wake up before his mother was gently ushering him to one of the back corners away from the door.

Snotlout blinked himself awake just in time to see the door open, a few guards beginning to file in, his father in battle stance in the middle of the room, awaiting to make his move.

Blister and Bruise were the first to enter of course, shooting Spitelout a hateful glance, who stood in their way. "Outta our way, brute." One of them gruffed.

Spitelout didn't hesitate to start fighting them off, punching one guard in the stomach, another in the nose, hitting Bruise in the face, swiping the man's axe from his belt as he stumbled back.

He then grabbed Bruise himself, wrapping an arm around him and pointing the axe threateningly at his throat, snarling at the other guards. "Get back! All of ye! Or i'll end him!"

The guards seemed taken aback, stopping, a few lowering their swords.

"Wait, stop, you can't hurt him, that's my brother!" Blister called out, looking frightened.

Spitelout just raised a brow, slicing the blade across Bruise's throat, not deep enough to kill him, but enough to draw blood and make the man cry out.

"N-No! Okay, okay, jus' take it easy man!" Blister seemed to shake, putting his hands up in surrender.

"Now all of ye drop yer weapons and step inside here! Don't try nothin' and don't even think about layin' a finger on my family or I'll spill this one's guts!" Spitelout barked, still holding Bruise tightly within his grip, who didn't dare put up a fight.

Snotlout was surprised when the guards complied, watching as they all dropped their weapons to the ground, put their hands into the air and all stepped inside the cell silently, eyeing Spitelout fearfully, who grinned at his wife and son when they were all inside.

He gestured towards the door and Snotlout and June didn't hesitate to slip past the guards and out the door, Snotlout still amazed that this had even worked, looking back to see his father shove Bruise to the floor after swiping the key, hurrying out and locking the door with all of them inside, snickering.

He turned to face Snotlout and his wife with a triumphant look of victory, puffing out his chest and Snotlout couldn't help but grin up at him, suddenly hopeful, feeling like they could get out of anything as long as his father was there.

"Now let's go teach Grimmel a thing or two about revenge, eh?" Spitelout declared, already taking off down the hall.

Though he was tired, Snotlout kept beside his mother, frowning when he remembered. "Wait, what about Hiccup? We have to free him too!"

"No time for that now, son!" Spitelout huffed over his shoulder and Snotlout frowned at him, wanting to go back.

 _No time for your own nephew?_

The trio hurried down the hallway as they got closer to the 'Torture Room' where Grimmel liked to hang out, Snotlout wondering if they would actually get out of here.

Three figures appeared at the end of the hallway suddenly and Snotlout gasped, coming to a halt, seeing it was the Three Warlords from before, including Ragnar.

They each stopped in their tracks as well, looking just as shocked to see them. "They're escaping!" Griselda pointed with a shout. "Quick, get the guards!"

Chaghatai turned and ran off, Griselda and Ragnar already advancing on them.

Spitelout of course was furious, punching Ragnar as soon as he came close, Griselda managing to slip past them, hurrying towards June and Snotlout with her fists raised and a nasty glare.

Snotlout gasped and was going to help his mother fend her off but June carefully nudged him aside, not wanting him to get hurt, Snotlout watching as the two women began to fight, gaping.

His mother could fight and defend herself, but she was by no means a warrior and Griselda was swift and appeared to be driven by anger, knocking June back with a huff.

She then reached for her sword with a smirk and Snotlout gasped, eyes narrowing in anger, hurrying over and slamming himself into her, knocking her straight to the ground with a growl.

Griselda looked up in shock which quickly turned into anger, kicking him away harshly, who yelped as his back hit the nearby wall painfully, wincing in pain as he saw stars.

He gasped when his father nearly stepped on him, the men still fighting brutally with their fists, Snotlout flinching backwards to get out of their way, screaming when Ragnar grabbed him.

The Rock kept him pinned up against his chest, one arm wrapped around him, lifting him up with ease.

"Ha! What are you going to do about that?" He smirked at Spitelout, holding up Snotlout to block his face so Spitelout couldn't hit him, Snotlout squirming weakly in his tight grip with a whimper.

Spitelout snarled and threw his fist anyway, slugging Snotlout in the face, who groaned, going cross-eyed momentarily, blinded with pain as he went limp. "Not helping Daddy…." He whimpered as Ragnar dropped him with surprise.

Spitelout took advantage of Ragnar by quickly punching him in the stomach and then slugging him in the face, stepping over his son who lay upon the floor, holding his head painfully, still dazed.

Good thing he had somewhat gotten used to Spitelout's punches over the past sixteen years but it still hurt…..

He suddenly heard a strangled gasp and looked over to see Ragnar had his hands around his father's throat, pinning him up against the wall, choking the daylights out of him with a laugh.

Snotlout gasped and got to his feet with a glare, trying to figure out how to help, too small and afraid of Ragnar to take him on himself, lightbulb sparking when he caught sight of the man's sword in its sheath.

Hurriedly he rushed over and removed it, slashing it over Ragnar's arm in a hurry, panting.

Ragnar screamed and dropped Spitelout, immediately reaching for the wound in pain, Snotlout dropping the sword quickly, frightened, having cut the man much more deeper than he had intended.

Beside him his father gasped for air as he clutched his throat and Snotlout stepped closer to him when Ragnar snarled at him in fury, his palm now smeared with blood. "Why you little-!"

Spitelout punched him quickly, despite a hand still at his throat, knocking Ragnar down, sending a smirk down at his son. "Well done, boy-o!"

Snotlout managed to grin up at him, after all it was rare for his father to praise him after all. Ragnar was quickly back on his feet, snarling in anger, looking furious.

"Rrah, i'll show you!" He snarled, suddenly grabbing Snotlout again, who screamed, kicking around in fear.

Spitelout snarled and quickly threw his fist, luckily hitting Ragnar this time instead of Snotlout, grabbing his son out of Ragnar's arms, taking him back with his arms wrapped around him protectively, stepping away. "You leave me son alone!"

Snotlout smiled up at him, glad to be back in his father's arms, looking up at him with pride, amazed at how awesome his father could fight (as long as it wasn't with him), loving how cool he was.

Ragnar advanced again with a snarl and Spitelout set Snotlout down, nudging him out of the way gently, beginning to fight again, Snotlout stepping back to watch with a wide smile.

He watched as Spitelout knocked Ragnar down again, grinning, screaming when somebody grabbed him from behind, whimpering and squirming to get away when he saw it was a guard. "Daddy, help!" He screamed before the man holding him clamped a hand over his mouth, holding onto him firmly.

Spitelout looked over, gasping when he saw. "Snotlout!" He started to hurry over to help when Ragnar suddenly grabbed him, pinning his arms to his sides firmly, not allowing him to get away.

Spitelout immediately jerked and kicked to get away, snarling, panicking when he couldn't and more guards were already advancing on him to get him restrained. "No! Let go of me! Snotlout!"

Snotlout whimpered as more guards were grabbing at him as well, frowning when he knew their plan had failed, seeing his mother and father both getting restrained by guards, whimpering as he was roughly shoved to the ground on his stomach, the men tying his hands together behind him.

Snotlout almost started crying, shaking with fear, looking up in horror as the guards grabbed his mother and there were several who were trying to contain Spitelout, who fought them off in any way he could, none of the men able to hold him still.

Instead they slammed him harshly up against the wall with a yell, the man snarling in pain and swearing as he struggled to get free, guards scrambling to get his hands tied.

Snotlout gasped and shook his head no as he watched, whimpering as he was yanked to his feet and they started dragging him off, beginning to cry as he tried to struggle against them, yelping and gasping with pain as they only punched him, weakening him even more.

He could hear his father struggling and fighting against the guards too behind him and Snotlout shook even more when he realised the men were leading them further down the halls to Grimmel.

Which was where they had been going originally, except now they had been captured so that meant bad news for them of course.

He was brought in first and then his mother and eventually Spitelout, who they still struggled to haul in, forcing him to his knees beside them when he was finally inside. Snotlout, between them, looked up at them both with frightened eyes as they waited for Grimmel to approach, trembling, frowning deeply at his mother who looked down at him, looking just as scared he was.

Spitelout didn't offer him a glance, glaring ahead with a scowl, pulling at the rope around his wrists behind his back, growling when he saw Grimmel walking up to them, looking cross.

"Now what's happened?" He huffed, seeming to sneer.

"We caught them trying to escape." Griselda spoke. "Hardly able to put up a fight even."

Spitelout growled back at her.

Grimmel came closer, peering down at the three Jorgensons with a sort of smirk and Snotlout shrank back a little with fear, hoping for anything but more torture and to be thrown back into that Thor-forsaken cell.

"Hmm, is that so? What, you didn't like being trapped in your cell? Awww, that's too bad. We'll just have to do something worse to you as punishment instead." Grimmel was chuckling to himself, eyes twinkling.

Spitelout snarled and got to his feet, outraged. "Rrrr, ye f****** bastard! I'm going to kill you for torturing my son!" He got right up into Grimmel's face, nose-to-nose with him, shouting, making Snotlout flinch.

"First ye torture my boy and then you dare to cut off his finger?! Ohhh, ye got some nerve! When i'm through with you, you're going to be swimmin' in yer own pool of blood and then imma make ye drown in it because i'm goin' to strangle ya! Yer not makin' it outta this one!"

Spitelout panted with fury, glaring at Grimmel who didn't seem too fazed by the outburst, chin held high, looking at Spitelout with a distasteful look, sneering.

"Hey," Ragnar called, making their heads turn to see him coming forward. "Before you kill him, why don't you kill me first? We have a fight to finish after all." He huffed, giving Spitelout a sort of cold look, raising his fists.

Spitelout eyes narrowed and he growled, letting out a sort of chuckling noise. "Oh ho ho, with pleasure. But you're next, Grisly." He snorted.

Grimmel didn't seem to object to the fight and Snotlout watched with a frown as a guard came and sliced through Spitelout's binds, freeing him, the men immediately advancing on each other, duking it out.

Grimmel seemed to ignore them with an eye roll as they moved to the back of the room to fight, Snotlout gulping when the evil man turned to face him and his mother, coming over.

"Now, what to do with the two of you…." He mused, grabbing Snotlout with a smirk as he came over, holding him up against his chest firmly, Snotlout squeaking and flinching to get away, whimpering when a dagger was brought up to his throat, Grimmel chuckling.

"Hey, you leave my son alone…..!" June glared at him, nearly rising to her feet herself, not wanting anything else to happen to her little babe. "Haven't you done enough to him, already?"

Grimmel smirked, keeping the knife at Snotlout's throat, who continued to whimper, sniffling quietly as he shook with fear. "Oh my lady, I haven't even come close to what i'm going to do with him…..!" He laughed. "But you on the other hand…."

Snotlout shook his head no. "Please don't hurt my parents….! You-You can keep hurting me, not-not them…."

Grimmel growled, bringing the knife closer to his neck. "Shut up! Though as much as I would enjoy that, what would the fun in that be?"

Snotlout whimpered as tears fell down his cheeks, wishing he could see his father, able to hear his shouts and fighting in the background, hoping he was winning.

Grimmel paced with Snotlout still in his arms, seeming to finally make up his mind, grinning as he motioned to the guards. "Ah yes, I know….take her away and do as you'd like with her. Enjoy yourselves."

Snotlout's mouth fell open in horror as dread washed over him, mortified. He knew what Grimmel meant, his stomach turning into lead.

Men were already grabbing at his mother, who shook and whimpered herself with fear and panicking, Snotlout yanked himself out of Grimmel's arms to get to her, crying out when he was apprehended by another guard.

Squirming and kicking frantically, he cried out in despair, terrified, watching her get dragged out. "No! Mom! Mom!"

He could see his mother crying now but though she struggled she made no protest for what else could she do without being able to get away from the guards?

Snotlout's panic was rising and he didn't know what to do, trying desperately to get away from the guard, whimpering as he thought of his father, eyes widening.

"Dad! Dad, you gotta help Mom!" He shouted, knowing his father would hear him.

Spitelout instantly turned his head from the other side of the room, looking up mid-punch as he knocked Ragnar away, looking over to see the guards dragging June out of the room, anger and fear flooding through him.

"No! June!" He shouted, racing to come over and help, desperate to save her.

"No! Stop him!" Grimmel shouted as he watched, snarling as Spitelout kept running.

The guards had dragged June out of the room by now and Spitelout called out in fear, panicking, stepping back as guards leaped in front of his path. "June! Lassie!"

Snotlout could hear the desperation in his father's voice as he struggled and he knew Spitelout knew what they were going to do to his wife as much as he did, though it was too late for either of them to save her now for she was already gone.

Snotlout continued to struggle against the guard, crying and whimpering in fear. "Mama, no Mama….!"

Spitelout was swearing bucketloads, furious now, knocking away the guards that tried to stop him, headbutting, biting, kicking, knocking them away any way he could, none of them able to restrain him.

One of the guards raised his mace and hit Spitelout on the back of the head with it, knocking the man down with a yelp of pain as he held his head, Snotlout gasping as he saw. "Daddy!"

The guards quickly pounced on Spitelout and began roughly tying him up, several men holding him down as the man continued to struggle even upon the ground.

They tried to gag him but couldn't, having to yank on his hair in order for him to go still, Spitelout snarling with pain and swearing at them, his shouts going muffled when they finally got the gag in.

Snotlout whimpered as he watched, crying as he yanked around, the man holding him growling as he tightened his grip on him, Snotlout kicking and struggling to get away wildly, watching fearfully as Grimmel came near his father.

"Take him away. Punish him. Just get him outta my sight." He sneered with the usual wave of his hand, already walking away.

The men of course obeyed and pulled Spitelout to his feet, dragging him off in the opposite direction of where June had been taken, Spitelout still struggling against them but it was weaker.

Snotlout cried out for him, struggling like a mad-man. "Dad! Daddy! Dad, no! Dad!"

He went limp when he was gone and he was left all alone again. Hanging his head as he cried, he looked up at Grimmel in despair. "How-How could you?! Th-They're my parents!" He choked out, still mortified.

Grimmel merely shrugged. "They're just getting what they deserve. Oh and don't worry, you are too. I wouldn't dare leave you out of the mix. Family package after all, hmmm?"

Snotlout whimpered and shook his head no as more guards came up to him and he cried out as he was unable to fight them off, attempting to stay on his feet the best he could before everything all came crashing down, including him.

* * *

Pull. Yank. Twist.

As Snotlout lay upon the floor of their empty cell, alone, he weakly tried to get his bound hands free, whimpering weakly as he continued to sniffle. He hardly had any strength left and all he could do was cry, still worried about his parents.

He didn't know how long it had been since he had last saw them; an hour? Two?

Either way, here he is now, tied upon the floor, gagged too, left alone to cry and ponder his thoughts miserably.

New pains rattled through his body and a weird sensation was coming from the nub of his missing finger, feeling numb and tingly, his stomach also hurting, feeling like he was sick. Guess his mother was right. He then sniffled as he thought about her, eyes squeezed shut tightly with guilt, knowing he could have saved her if he had just tried harder.

Limp upon his side, unmoving, Snotlout continued to lie there helplessly, quiet tears running down his face and dripping to the floor as he frowned deeply with hurt.

Only did the sound of the door being opened several minutes later did he open his eyes, tiredly looking up, not knowing whether to expect it to be the guards, Hiccup, or his parents.

Guards roughly shoved Spitelout inside, who fell to the ground with a pained growl, shaking his head in a daze as he began getting to his feet, appearing tired. "Gah, daft buggers…."

Snotlout was surprised to see his father, though he was relieved, eyes widening to see blood on his face, swallowing hard with worry, hoping they hadn't dared actually hurt his father.

Spitelout caught his breath, looking over and finally spotting his son, going wide-eyed as he hurried over. "Snotlout! Are you alright, son?"

He removed Snotlout's gag, frowning at him worriedly as he was already undoing the ropes.

Snotlout coughed a little, looking up at his father fearfully, whimpering. "D-Dad….."

Spitelout got him free and picked him up, placing him on his feet, grabbing him by the arms, looking him over hurriedly. "Son, are you hurt?"

Frowning deeply, Snotlout silently pointed to the new cut on his arm with big eyes, feeling like a child again. He also had new scuffs and bruises on his face, but those weren't quite as obvious considering his face was already bruised to begin with.

"It hurts, Dad…."

Spitelout frowned deeply with a pained look in his eyes, gently pulling Snotlout to his chest in a hug, rubbing a hand over his back. "Aye, I know. I'm here, boy-o. I've got ye."

Snotlout frowned with a sniffle as his father held him close. "Wh-Where's Mom?" He asked him, even though he already knew the answer, sick feeling still in his gut.

Spitelout let go of him and looked around with a fearful expression as if he had just realized, though Snotlout knew he hadn't stopped thinking about her since she had been taken.

Snotlout watched as his father stood open-mouthed as he watched the door, eyebrows slowly furrowing together as he clenched his fists at his side, silently going over.

Snotlout swallowed and began stepping back to get away with a wide expression, expecting his father to explode, going to the corner and sliding down to the floor, watching expectantly, trembling.

His father didn't explode but punched the wall once with a cuss, leaning his forehead up against the door, looking down at the floor with a pained expression, almost as if he was guilty, staying there.

Snotlout's open mouth soon closed as he watched, another sick feeling washing over him, sniffling quietly as he brought up his knees to his chest, propping his elbows up and resting his face, frowning deeply as he stared blankly ahead, unable to watch his father anymore.

And then he just sat there in the corner waiting, wondering if he would see his mother again and even if he did, if she would be okay.

Spitelout didn't pay his son any mind as he stood against the door, Snotlout still at the other side of the room in the corner, each lost in their miserable thoughts, though they were each about the same person.

* * *

Snotlout didn't know how long they had been waiting, in silence too, before he looked up as he heard guards at the door, tensing as his mouth formed into an 'o', seeing his mother as they brought her in.

They shoved her in, Spitelout catching her, and she didn't seem too extremely distraught, but distraught enough, obviously, seeming weak and tired as Spitelout held her up in his arms while she cried.

"June! Lassie!" Spitelout looked just as afraid and frightened, hugging her momentarily and then searching her for answers. "June, June, are you alright?"

June's face was scuffed up and bloody and she shook her head no through tears, Spitelout brushing the bangs out of her eyes carefully.

Snotlout had sat up and was watching with big eyes, beginning to cry silently again as he watched his mother cry, hardly able to imagine the horror of what she just went through, still trying to get over that this had actually happened.

June and Spitelout were talking as she told him what happened and Snotlout couldn't hear, though he wouldn't have wanted to hear anyway, looking away sadly, swallowing hard when he saw Spitelout was almost crying himself.

He had a pained look on his face, most likely guilt, and though he was angry, he seemed to be trying his hardest to hold it back for his wife's sake, the only angry thing he did being punching the wall every now and then, bloodying his knuckles badly, though it looked like he hardly even noticed.

Still in his arms, June continued to cry, Spitelout swaying with her and kissing her forehead as he rested his chin on her head softly, talking lowly as he tried his best to comfort her, seeming to say 'I'm sorry' several times, still holding back his anger.

Snotlout remained in his corner, crying, hugging his knees to his chest sadly, not wanting to interrupt them, not knowing what he would say to his mother. I'm sorry? He wasn't sure if that would be appropriate.

June eventually pulled away out of Spitelout's hug with a sniffle, wiping at her eyes. "Where-Where's Snotlout?" She began looking around anxiously and Spitelout pointed to him, Snotlout slowly lifting his head, looking at her with a frown.

She came over to him with a troubled look, bending down to his level, reaching out her arms for a hug. "Oh Snotty, dear, are you alright?"

Snotlout got on his knees with a deep frown, hugging her. "I-I'm okay. I-I'm sorry, Mama…." He murmured quietly as he nuzzled warmly into the nape of her neck, hoping she wouldn't find it offensive.

From behind them Spitelout stood, seeming to scowl down at them, clenching his fists.

June rocked with her son, kissing his cheek, rubbing at his back. "Oh….not your fault, sweetie. I'll be okay." She seemed to sniffle and Snotlout frowned, quickly pulling out of the hug, rubbing at his arm, feeling bad.

"How-How are you feeling?" June frowned at him worriedly, seeing he had more bruises, frowning at the new gash on his arm.

Snotlout, though he was still hurting and not exactly feeling well, frowned as he knew it couldn't be nearly as bad as what his mother just went through, guilt still running heavily through him. "I-I'm okay, I guess…." He kept his gaze lowered, murmuring.

"What about you, dear, you're okay, right?" June glanced back at her husband, who sent them a narrowed look as he leaned against the farthest wall, arms crossed over his chest with a frown. "Of course i'm okay, nothing could be as bad as you after getting damn ra-"

"Don't you dare say it." June suddenly seemed to snap, looking back at him with furrowed eyebrows, clearly still troubled. "Just don't say that word, it doesn't need to be said."

"Oh i'll be sayin' it, I'll be sayin' it to Grimmel when I see him next so I can squeeze the living daylights outta 'em!" Spitelout growled, clearly expressing his anger now, unable to hold it back any longer.

"Enough, Spitelout." June insisted with a half-growl, clearly not willing to talk about this now, especially not with the mood he was in. Snotlout frowned at them both, seeming to feel worse as more and more was said.

Spitelout shut up, still looking cross as he grumbled under his breath but he shut up for June's sake.

"So what now then?" He huffed, shrugging a little.

Frowning, Snotlout sat back down against the wall and hugged his knees to his chest, watching them quietly, wishing there was at least something for them to do aside from talk, the silence and darkness driving him insane by now.

"Well, I-I dunno….." June said quietly, looking back at Snotlout with a frown. "I wish we could get our Snotty something to eat…" Snotlout just continued to frown at them.

"What, you want me to try again?" Spitelout huffed, jerking a thumb back at the door, seeming all but too eager to give it another try, June shaking her head no at him as she got to her feet. "No dear, please don't." She seemed to huff, Spitelout scowling at her a little as she came over.

"Don't give 'em more excuses to get you and your son beaten up, jus' look at ye!"

Spitelout put a hand to the bloody cut just above his beard, not seeming to really care. "It's jus' a scratch, woman, you don't-"

"Look at your son! He's hurt and prolly getting sick and-"

"Oh what, you think this is because of me? Oh, you're gonna go on and blame it all on me are ye?"

"It was you who tried the 'Big Escape,' I don't think that exactly made them happy and look what they did…!"

 _Oh no, please don't argue, not now…._ Snotlout frowned deeply as he watched, cringing as he put his face into his elbows on his knees, tuning them out, wishing they would stop, the last thing he wanted being them fighting.

His mother and father got along fine but obviously there were quarrels and yes, they were all because of Spitelout and something he did whether it be to Snotlout or otherwise. Their fights never got physical but Snotlout never liked listening to them, especially 'cause his father acted like a child at times, trying to weasel his way out of something he knew he had caused and he could get quite annoying.

Plus whenever his father got angry or defensive, his voice raised an octave which was a little uneasy to listen to because then you knew something was up.

The arguing continued and of course got louder and Snotlout nearly groaned, shaking his head no, getting more and more miserable listening to them, trying his best to tune them out, wishing his father would quit hollering already.

"Ye think i'm enjoying this?! I hate this just as much as you do!"

"But you could show a little more decency to your son. You're acting as if this is nothin' out of the ordinary."

"I'll start worryin' about 'em when I get rid of the problem: Grimmel! I can't jus' stand here waiting for more crap from that man, we have to act now!"

Snotlout shook his head no, frowning deeply, trying to focus on something else but the only other thing to focus on was the growing pain in his chest and stomach, which was becoming quite bothersome, making him wish he was back in his bed in his own hut again.

He thought he might be starting to sweat too, forehead feeling damp and he was starting to feel hotter, which didn't make him feel any better of course.

"Honey, what can we do? The guards clearly don't sympathize for us."

"And I wouldn't want 'em to! I'm jus' tryin' to get us outta here so we can get our damn island back, what else would you like me to do, woman?"

"Spitelout, the only thing you've done is made things worse, now-"

"Well at least i'm doing something! Ye can't just sit in here and let Snotlout get worse!"

"Well at least if we don't do anything, no one can get hurt, upsetting and trying to take on Grimmel certainly isn't going to help us any."

Spitelout snorted. "Well do as you please but i'm going to keep tryin' until we get outta here! It's the only way to save our boy!"

Snotlout frowned deeply at them as he watched, biting the inside of his cheek, wishing they would stop talking about him and shut up already.

"Spitelout, I understand, you wanna get outta here, but you're not exactly doing a very good job at-" June stopped as they heard the door being unlocked, looking over, Snotlout raising his head in alarm, going scared.

 _Oh no, please don't take us away again, Gods no. No more…._

June and Spitelout watched as a guard opened the door and June held up an arm, pushing Spitelout backwards gently, keeping him from attacking, the man letting out a snort of protest and annoyance, glaring at the back of her head.

The guard who entered carried a bowl of what looked like the same mushy-slop Snotlout and Hiccup had to eat earlier, accompanied with a spoon.

"Oh look dear, food." June almost smiled, giving Spitelout an gentle elbow to his ribs as he tried again to go after the guard and he growled as June took the food, giving the guard a sour look, snarling when she just turned away as the guard locked the door again.

"Rrrr, why didn't you let me go after 'em?!"

"Because what good would that have done?!" June snapped at him with a frown, eyeing the food in her hands, beginning to stir it with the spoon.

"Wh-What good?!" Spitelout sputtered. "I coulda gotten us outta here! I could have-What in Thor's name is that?" He raised a brow at the food, lips curling up in disgust.

"Well at least they give us something." June frowned.

"Well let me have some!" Spitelout grabbed the bowl away, scooping up a spoonful, yelping when June smacked him on the arm. "Don't you dare! That's for our son!" She took it from him quickly with a huff.

"Wha-I get some! I'm hungry too!" Spitelout huffed, voice going up an octave, watching as June went over to Snotlout, who blinked expectantly at them with a frown.

"Snotlout's the one who needs his strength, dear."

Spitelout growled and clenched his fists at his sides as he stamped his foot, crossing his arms over his chest with a pouting look, glaring.

"Here Snotty." June handed Snotlout the bowl, who frowned. "I-I dunno If I should eat this…." He looked up at her with big eyes, one: not really wanting it to begin with since it was disgusting and two: he wasn't exactly feeling too great, not feeling like eating.

Spitelout perked up with a happy gasp, eyebrows raising with hope as he began coming over but June shook her head. "You need to eat, son. It'll help you get your strength back. I promise it'll make you feel better."

"I need my strength too ya know." Spitelout huffed from behind them and June shook her head. "Hush up, dear."

Snotlout frowned, trying to give her the bowl back. "Why don't you jus' give it to daddy, Mom."

"Ha ha!"

June pushed the bowl back into his arms with a shaking of her head. "Jus' eat dear, please. You need it."

"Ugh." Spitelout threw up in his arms in exasperation, rolling his eyes as he turned to walk away. "No respect…." He muttered, just as hungry as anybody was, hardly having been fed himself the past few days.

Snotlout frowned but picked up the spoon and reluctantly took a bite, recoiling a little with disgust, though he ate more as he realised how much he had missed the taste of food, even though this probably wouldn't be qualified as food. He didn't eat the whole thing, wanting to save some for his parents since this was all they were given, giving it to his mother when he was finished.

Spitelout hurried over.

"Ah, let me eat some first." June stopped him. "Why should you eat first?!" He huffed, giving her a cold look.

"Because otherwise you'd eat the rest and I would get nothing." June huffed, eating her few bites now while she could. Spitelout gave a shrug, nodding. "Eh, fair enough."

Snotlout couldn't blame his father for being so hungry; back home he could eat a whole table setting in just one meal practically. He watched as Spitelout finally got the bowl and ate his share in seconds.

"That's it?!" He frowned, inspecting the bowl for more, not seeing a drop. "Augh, you gave Snotlout the whole thing!" He growled, throwing the bowl to the ground where it broke.

Snotlout looked up quickly with a frown, wide-eyed.

"Yes, just like I had wanted to." June replied calmly, going over to the single bench to sit down.

"But that's not fair!" Spitelout stamped his foot with big eyes.

"Spitelout, _you're_ not being fair, now please jus' relax, i'm tired."

Spitelout seemed to straighten and go serious, closing his mouth, glancing over at Snotlout once with a frown, slowly coming over to sit beside her, kissing her cheek. "I love you." He said quietly, taking her hand.

She rested her head on his shoulder as she leaned on him, closing her eyes. "I love you too."

Snotlout frowned at them a little sadly, swallowing hard, leaning his head against the wall, which was beginning to hurt now, feeling heavy, keeping a hand at his stomach that continued to hurt.

His parents talked quietly on the bench and as Snotlout remained in the corner, a sick feeling came over him after awhile and he frowned in pain, beginning to tremble, feeling weak and tired as he started to get to his feet, every part of his body seeming to be so heavy.

He had a hand at his forehead, another around his stomach, coming over to interrupt his parent's conversation. "Mama, I-I don't feel so good…."

Spitelout raised a brow but June reached out a hand in concern, looking worried, seeing Snotlout's forehead and hair drenched in sweat. "Oh honey, look at you….! You feel sick?"

Snotlout nodded with a deep frown and big eyes, almost embarrassed. "I-I think i'm gonna throw up…." He whimpered, not knowing what to do, feeling awful.

Spitelout quickly got up and stepped aside, most likely to get out of the way and away from Snotlout, going to the other side of the room quietly where he leaned against the wall.

June put her gentle hands on Snotlout's shoulders and urged him over to the corner of the room slowly, being gentle and careful. "It's okay, i'm here baby, it's alright."

Snotlout fell to his knees with a sort of groan, pained. "I-It hurts." He shook, beginning to cough, tasting bile, whimpering as he began to throw up, gasping and wincing with pain as it hurt his chest and throat, emptying what was in his stomach as he vomited.

June sat beside him, rubbing at his back and holding him, frowning deeply with worry when he was finished, brushing his bangs out of his face for him. "You okay? You alright?"

Snotlout whimpered and gasped as he tried to catch his breath, wiping at his mouth, blinking away tears. "N-No…" He then erupted into a coughing fit, bringing a hand to his chest in pain, chest hurting badly as he wheezed and struggled.

"Snotty, breathe honey, breathe, i'm here…." June comforted him, waiting until he was finished, rubbing his back in circles, other hand holding his shoulder gently. "You okay?"

Snotlout shook, trying not to stare at his bile in front of them, lip quivering as it still hurt, still managing to nod, blinking fast, it hard to keep his eyes open.

"Can you stand?" June started helping him to his feet, leading him to the other side of the room. "Come here, it's alright…."

Snotlout's legs were all wobbly with shaky knees and he held onto her as he tried walking, breathing heavily as he panted, hair still wet with sweat, head heavy with pain as he tried to stay upright.

He had made it nearly halfway across the room before he couldn't take it anymore, his legs giving out underneath him as he collapsed and fell, exhausted, landing on his side with a pained groan and a cough, lying limp as it felt like he could hardly breathe.

His mother gasped. "Snotty!" She bent down to him quickly, looking him over. "Spitelout, come here!" Spitelout of course obeyed, looking quite worried himself.

"There's something wrong with him! Here you take him, you can hold him longer than I can." June helped lift Snotlout into her husband's arms, still trying to figure out what to do.

Spitelout looked down at his son with big eyes, who groaned in pain, looking terrible as he lay limp and shivered. "Is-Is he gonna be okay?" Spitelout didn't really know what to do to him, just holding him.

"I-I dunno, this could be worse than a fever, he-he could be very sick….!" June frowned deeply, shaking her head.

"W-Well, that-that's bad. He-" Spitelout frowned as Snotlout coughed some more, bringing his face closer into his father's chest, practically clinging to him as he groaned in pain. "Easy lad. Well, what-what am I supposed to do with 'em?"

"Jus' hold him and mind his head. I dunno if there is anythin' we can do to really help, not in here."

Spitelout scowled. "Grimmel, the bastard! I'll go out and there-"

"Spitelout, no, don't do this, not now, focus on your son, not the enemy." June huffed, petting Snotlout's hair gently, looking down at him worriedly.

Snotlout frowned deeply as he shivered badly, cold, keeping close to his father's chest. "D-Daddy…."

"Easy, boy-o, i'm here." Spitelout frowned down at him, holding him close carefully, worried for him.

"It-It hurts…." Snotlout continued to whimper, wincing in pain again from his stomach, feeling terrible.

"Well of course it does, you-" Spitelout started with his crude remark, stopping when June cleared her throat and shook her head no. "I mean, I know it does, son. You're gonna be alright. June, I can't do this, what do I do?"

"Just keep holding him. You've done this before, right? What did you do when he was little?"

"Heh heh," Spitelout began to chuckle nervously. "Told 'em to suck it up and quit his crying….What? I don't help people, June, I hurt them." He frowned at her glare, still unsure of what to do with Snotlout, not used to this.

June opened her mouth but Snotlout spoke. "Mama, Daddy, where's Hookfang?" He whimpered, still wincing and groaning with pain.

"Hook-Hookfang's not here right now, dear." June frowned at him deeply, petting his hair softly.

"O-Oh. Is Hiccup here?" Snotlout frowned, hand over his stomach, unable to keep his eyes open.

"No dear, sorry. Why-Why don't you go to sleep honey? You need to rest."

"But what about Hookfang? And Hiccup?"

"Yeah, what about them?" Spitelout frowned with a brow raised, not understanding, June giving him a look. "Hush. Snotty, just go to sleep honey, Yer father and I will be right here, okay?"

Snotlout seemed to already be falling asleep and June shook her head. "Poor boy. Spitelout, he's very sick."

"Clearly. He thinks his cousin's here." Spitelout muttered, brow raised with a disapproving look.

"Spitelout. He could die." June frowned deeply at him. "And he will if he gets hurt anymore by Grimmel."

Spitelout growled at the name. "Grah, Grimmel! Don't worry, he won't touch our boy-o again, i'll make sure of it. And we ain't gonna lose him either. But, do I really have to keep holding him?"

"Spitelout!" June gave him a look, frowning. "He's your son! Look at him!"

Spitelout sighed and looked down, Snotlout trembling as he slept, head lying against his father's chest closely, looking pained even as he slept, pale.

"He doesn't look good." Spitelout mused, being serious, frowning down at him, worry filling his stomach, not wanting anything bad to happen to his son, nor wanting to lose him. "He's already been beaten, tortured, lost a finger…..poor boy. That's worse than what i've done to him." He frowned, sharing a concerned look with June, who was just as worried as he was.

"Wh-What if he doesn't make it?" She whispered and Spitelout furrowed his eyebrows at her. "He's going to. I'm not letting anything else happen to him. He's a Jorgenson. He's gotta be fine."

June still frowned. "If only his beloved dragon were still here to help him."

Spitelout gave a small nod. "Aye, I wish he were. So uh, what now?"

"We should probably get to sleep too. It's been a long day, for everyone. We'll have to make sure Snotlout's still okay in the morning."

"And if he's not?"

"He will be." June insisted, giving him a small nudge, Spitelout standing and going to the wall to sit, Snotlout still in his arms. June sat down beside him with a sigh, looking at Snotlout with worry, shaking her head as her eyes watered with tears. "Oh, our Snotty….."

Spitelout watched their son too, frowning down at him as he looked so helpless. "Hard to believe 21 years ago I was holdin' him, jus' like this. Course he was smaller. But still…." He swallowed and June leaned on him closely, frowning deeper at the thought.

"He's so brave, letting himself get hurt instead of Hiccup."

Spitelout frowned. "Hiccup. Wonder what's gonna happen with him. Or if we'll even see him again. Jus' imagine if Stoick were here. Then at least it wouldn't be our son getting hurt."

"I just hope we get out of here, soon. And well, alive." June frowned, shaking her head.

"Aye, me too, lass. Me too." Spitelout sighed, kissing the top of her head gently, sparing another glance down at their son. "All of us."


	17. Rescue Me Part 4

**A/N: It's finally finished! Thank Thor. This was the hardest (and probably the worst) chapter to write. The endings are always so hard to write and always come out so weak *Sigh*. Also I didn't reread this before uploading so I apologize now in advance for mistakes. Either way, it's finished. Again, a HUGE thank you to PutMoneyInThyPurse, who helped me out with basically this whole thing. Anyway, hope y'all enjoy this and blah blah blah, yakkity yakkity... :)**

 **Rescue Me Part 4**

Astrid panted as she rowed, jaw clenched as she glared over her shoulder. Still nothing but ocean.

She shook her head, huffing under her breath, continuing to use whatever strength she still had to row, her hands blistered and bleeding severely.

She was exhausted and tired, hungry, wishing she could stop to rest but she couldn't, the urge to save her husband swarming her.

She had been rowing for days now and it sucked; riding a dragon was five times faster but of course she didn't have a dragon now. But she was going to see them….

She hadn't planned on going to the Hidden World for help right away, but when she had escaped and snuck off the island, she knew a fleet and armada would hardly make a dent and more people would only get killed and captured, a loss she was not willing to risk.

No, the only way to stop Grimmel and the hundreds of guards that obeyed him, was to get the dragons. They could stop Grimmel and not get killed, it would be just like old times, fighting against the Outcasts and Berserkers.

If only Astrid could actually get to them…..she had no idea if she was even close by now and she let out a sigh of despair, stopping a minute, muscles aching. "Oh Stormfly….I wish you were here, girl….."

She briefly wondered if she would die of exhaustion before she even got there, feeling like a ton of bricks, wanting to collapse. But thinking of Hiccup, knowing he could be much worse off than her, made her keep going, embracing the pain best she could, fighting it.

More hours creeped by as she rowed against the crashing waves, the boat rocking this way and that, still feeling like she had gotten nowhere, letting out a frustrated growl, feeling useless.

She knew she might give up soon if she didn't come close and if not that, her body would give up instead.

Rowing again, over and over, up and down, up and down, Astrid kept going no matter how weak and tired she was, finally hearing the sounds of a waterfall ahead.

At first she didn't believe it, looking up with a brow raised, but then realized she was actually here, she had found it! Relief overtook her and she let out a short laugh, still unable to believe it.

She could just see the start of the waterfall ahead, grinning as she stopped rowing, grateful. The boat still moved along against the waves and Astrid hoped she wouldn't get much closer otherwise she'd go straight over the edge.

She looked around, trying to spot a familiar dragon, or any dragon or even better their King.

"Toothless? Toothless! Hey, Toothless!" She called out as loud as she could, hoping he would hear, calling his name out several times, looking around and waiting expectantly.

Nothing happened and she was quiet for a minute, trying again, holding her breath. "Toothless?"

It was quiet again and Astrid almost thought she'd have to go down there in order to find him, but then she heard the familiar roar and whirring, gasping.

She saw a dark form fly quickly towards her with a growl, stopping just before her boat to hover, eyes narrowed at the intruder before he quickly recognized it was her, ears raising with a smile. "Rrrawr!"

Astrid smiled widely, letting out another laugh, so relieved to see him though it was weird seeing him fly on his own without her husband on his back, before she remembered, _'Oh right, the new tail….'_

"Hey Toothless, hey buddy!" She held out her arms and Toothless lowered his snout to her with a purr, hovering just above her, smiling widely, sniffing her a little. "Wrroo!" Astrid quickly petted his nose, hugging his snout. "So good to see you!"

She pulled away when she remembered why she was even here, eyebrows furrowing. "Toothless, we need your help. Hiccup is in trouble. We need you and the other dragons."

Toothless's ears perked and his eyes narrowed at the words, smile quickly disappearing as he shook his head with a sort of growl, lowering himself closer to her with no hesitation, letting her climb on his back, which she quickly did, adrenaline suddenly pumping.

It almost felt weird to sit on a dragon again as Astrid tightened her legs around his neck, doing her best to hold on without a saddle as Toothless turned around, roaring at his queen who hovered just above the great waterfall.

Astrid felt a huge smile grow on her face when she saw the Light Fury, glad to see her again. Toothless roared and she seemed to get the message, roaring back and then gliding down out of sight into the dragon world, her roars fading.

Toothless stayed above, hovering in place and Astrid peered down at the waterfall curiously, waiting.

All of a sudden the Light Fury came back up, along with hundreds and hundreds of other dragons, who followed behind her, Astrid gaping in shock, laughing in spite of herself, knowing this was going to work.

Toothless gave a roar and then started flying off, his queen at his side, both leading the way back to New Berk, an enormous trail of dragons following directly behind.

Astrid looked back happily, seeing Toothless's friends kept close to the front as well, seeing Cloudjumper, Meatlug, Skullcrusher, Barf and Belch, Hookfang and….

"Stormfly!" She cried out when she saw her beloved dragon, overjoyed to see her, heart racing.

The spikes on Stormfly's head raised and she turned her head towards the sound, squawking happily with a smile, quickly flying over.

Astrid reached a hand out to touch her horn, smiling widely. "So good to see you girl! Oh, i've missed you!"

"Rrawk!" Stormfly seemed to bob her head as she flew, squawking happily at the sight of her old rider, watching her as Astrid got to her feet on Toothless, leaping onto her back.

Astrid got into her usual position despite no saddle, letting out a breath of happiness at the feeling of being back on a dragon, having missed it, letting out a laugh and a happy cheer, ecstatic and nervous all at once, knowing they were going to go into battle, letting out a breath.

"Let's do this girl…." Stormfly let out a squawk, seeming to understand, keeping close behind Toothless as they all flew as quickly as they could, knowing their beloved riders were all in danger.

She looked over to see Hookfang was flying beside them and Astrid smiled at him. "Hookfang!"

The Nightmare looked over and seemed to perk up with a smile, roaring softly at her. That's when Astrid remembered: Snotlout.

She knew he was in trouble too, knowing that when he hadn't came out when he had rescued her, knowing he must have been imprisoned inside with the others.

Astrid's smile disappeared, frowning at the reptile. "Hookfang, we have to hurry. Snotlout's in trouble!"

At those three words, Hookfang's eyes went wide and his whole body shifted as he began flying faster, letting out a loud roar as he flew past his friends, even flying ahead of Toothless.

The Night Fury frowned and roared at him, Hookfang looking back with narrowed eyes, growling with an urgent roar, not slowing down.

Toothless snorted but seemed to understand, flying even faster to catch up with him, the Light Fury staying right beside him, everyone else following suite.

Atop of Stormfly, Astrid exhaled a deep breath, mentally preparing herself as they pressed on.

 _We're coming to save you, Hiccup….._

 **Meanwhile**

Snotlout slowly opened his eyes with a yawn as he stirred, blinking as he tried to figure out where he was, confused.

Looking up, he saw his father who was leaned against his wife's shoulder, snoring loudly, clearly asleep. Frowning softly, Snotlout then realised he was lying in his father's arms, almost gasping, then wondering if he was dead, knowing that was impossible.

Frowning with worry, wondering why in the world would his father ever be holding him, he looked over at his mother, carefully getting out of Spitelout's arms, sitting on his knees in front of her as he gently poked her shoulder. "Hey, Mom?"

June awoke as he continued to gently poke her, sitting up a little. "Huh? Wh-What is it?" She saw Snotlout before her and frowned. "Snotlout? What is it, sweetheart?"

Snotlout swallowed, biting the inside of his cheek, frowning at her with big eyes. "Mama, what happened?"

"You got sick last night, sweetie. How-How do you feel now?"

Snotlout frowned, not feeling very sick anymore, but not feeling very good either, everything still sore and almost numb. His brain was all fuzzy and it was hard to remember stuff.

"Em-Embarrassed." He peeped quietly, looking as if he could cry, not sure of what else to do.

June frowned down at him, wanting to scoop him up into a big old hug. "Oh honey…..it's okay. We're here for you, aren't we Spitelout?"

Spitelout snored loudly as he leaned his weight on her, head lying on her shoulder, still asleep.

"Spitelout…..Spitelout!" June frowned at him, elbowing his side gently.

"H-Huh?! W-What?" Spitelout sputtered awake, sitting up in alarm, looking around him wildly.

"Yer son is awake." June stated calmly, reaching her arms out to hug Snotlout, who scooted forward quickly, gladly accepting it.

Spitelout fixed the helmet on his head, relaxing. "Oh. Morning son." He smirked, leaning back up against the wall, closing his eyes again.

"Spitelout!" June frowned at him.

"What?" Spitelout frowned, not understanding, looking between them, seeing Snotlout hug his mother with a sad look.

"Remember? Last night?" June frowned at him with a shaking of her head, wishing he weren't so oblivious at times.

Realization struck Spitelout as he remembered, eyebrows raising as his gaze then focused on Snotlout sheepishly. "Ohhhh…..you-you okay, boy-o?" He frowned.

Snotlout pulled away from his mother with a sad look, looking down at the floor, blinking away tears. "I-I dunno….i'm still scared….we're never going to get out of here, are we?" He said as more of a statement than a question, having lost his confidence by now.

Spitelout and June exchanged a worried glance, frowning at the sadness in Snotlout's eyes.

"Oh son, we'll get out of here, don't worry." June started softly.

"Then why are we still here?" Snotlout almost sniffled, eyes big.

"Don't worry son, even if you give up, I'll still get us out of here." Spitelout huffed, pointing to his chest proudly, his wife sending him a look.

"Snotty, we're going to get out of here, we just have to keep waiting."

"But what if Astrid never makes it back and we're stuck here forever?" Snotlout slumped his shoulders in defeat, frowning deeply.

"Astrid?"

"The spitfire lass?" Spitelout and June raised a brow.

"What about Astrid?"

"When I came back, I was able to get Astrid free and she went to get help. But she's still not back yet which means we aren't going to get rescued and we're going to be stuck here until Grimmel eventually kills us all." Snotlout shook his head, feeling helpless, giving up hope.

"Snotty, you can't give up now. You need to stay strong, son, we will get out of here." June frowned, sharing a glance with Spitelout, who huffed.

"Aye. And don't forget what I told ye, a real Warrior never quits so don't you quit on me."

Snotlout frowned sadly as he watched the floor. "I'm already dying…..maybe it's best just to let Grimmel finish me off."

June gasped. "Son! How could you say that?"

"Well? What's the point? Without Hookfang, I might as well just-"

"So yer going to give up because of a scaly lizard? Boy-o, you ain't thinkin' straight! Yer lizard's not here jus' like everyone else's, including mine but ye don't see us giving up now do ye?" Spitelout frowned at him, eyebrows furrowed crossly.

"But Dad, Grimmel's probably sold away half of the village to the slave trade by now, there's no way to win anymore. We're all doomed. Besides, at least Hiccup will be safe if I die for him…." Snotlout said sincerely, taking in a deep breath, accepting his fate.

A scowl appeared on Spitelout's face and with a huff, he punched Snotlout hard in the cheek, who toppled over with a yelp, looking up with big eyes.

June gasped in horror. "Spitelout!" He only ignored her.

"Don't ye dare give up on us now, boy! Yer mother and I didn't have a son and raise him for 21 years just to have him quit on us! I raised ye to be a warrior now act like one! If ye quit now, you'll be failing your father!"

"Spitelout!" June growled at him as Snotlout lay looking up at him with a frown, wide-eyed, slowly sitting up again.

"That is not helping anyone, dear." June scolded Spitelout, who snorted. "Well, I ain't gonna lose him jus' like that!"

She shook her head at him in dismay, turning back to her son. "Snotlout…..Please don't give up, son. You have to stay strong, for-for us."

"But I can't Mama, I can't. How-How can I stay strong all by myself, without Hookfang with me? I can't, I'm dying, I already know it. I'm sorry." Snotlout frowned deeply at them, looking at the floor sadly, swallowing hard.

Spitelout raised his fist again with a growl but June quickly blocked it, frowning. "Snotty please…..we can't lose you, you're my little babe. Please stay strong. We'll be nothing without you."

Snotlout opened his mouth to speak as he slumped his shoulders sadly, but the sound of guards at the door redirected everyone's attention, Snotlout gasping quietly, quickly scooting closer to his parents in fear.

Spitelout rose to his feet with a snarl as the twins walked in, standing in front of his family protectively. "Ohhh no ye don't! Ye ain't gonna hurt either one of 'em again, not on my watch!"

To their surprise, Bruise backhanded him across the face with a huff, knocking Spitelout down to the floor, who looked up to see Bruise and Blister, along with several other guards point their axes and swords straight at him.

"Dad!" Snotlout cried out, watching in fear, keeping close to his mother.

"Threaten my brother, will ya?!" Blister growled, stomping a foot down onto Spitelout's chest as he kept his sword right at the man's throat, Spitelout looking up in surprise, gulping at the sharp blade against his neck, unable to move with all the guards surrounding him.

Snotlout gasped as guards grabbed his arms firmly, getting pulled away from his mother, whimpering in fear, struggling and pulling. "No! L-Let go of me!"

"No! You can't take him again, let go of him!" June cried out, desperately reaching for her son, gasping when a man pointed a sword at her throat, pushing her back up against the wall.

"Not so fast, sweets." He huffed, chuckling darkly, pointing the blade right up against her throat, making her cry out in fear, not moving.

Spitelout of course heard his wife cry out and instantly rage surged through him, letting out a roar of anger, punching Blister away, hardly noticing the man's sword cutting him, getting to his feet, knocking away the other guards. "June!"

He started forward despite all the men grabbing at his arms, knocking them away carelessly, hurrying to get to his wife. From behind him, Bruise quickly raised his mace and swung, striking Spitelout across the back of his head, knocking the man down, who cried out in pain and held his head, guards quickly grabbing him when he was down.

Snotlout gasped as he saw, the guards trying to drag him out of the cell and horrified and frightened, he planted his feet into the ground and refused to budge, eyeing his father with fear who they must have hit pretty hard, the over-sized Viking's face scrunched up in pain.

Blinded with pain yet still enraged, Spitelout looked up to see Snotlout getting dragged out, fear rushing through him, trying to get to his feet to get to him, the guards holding him down however, making him panic. "Snotlout!"

Guards yanking and swearing at him as they tried to get him to budge, Snotlout watched with fear as he could see the twins tying up Spitelout's hands behind his back, still holding him down firmly, managing to get a gag into his mouth, tying it around his head as the man squirmed and tried to get away.

At the other side of the room, more guards came towards June, keeping their weapons pointed at her, one grabbing her from the ground, wrapping his arm firmly around her waist, whispering things into her ear with a smirk despite her crying out.

Snotlout shook his head no with fear and whimpered out for them, trying to pull away to get to them to help, guards dragging him out forcefully. "No! Mom! Dad!"

He watched a guard lean down by a helpless Spitelout's ear, sneering, "We're gonna have some fun with yer wife and yer going to watch us…."

The last thing Snotlout saw before he was brought out of the room was his father struggling as guards advanced on June, each crying out, the door slamming shut before he could see anymore, crying out and struggling wildly at the guards that held him. "No! No! Bring me back to them, bring me back! Please!"

The guards growled and swore at him as they dragged him off down the hallway and Snotlout nearly burst into tears, kicking like a mad-man, panting with fear, frightened.

He was brought to a new cell and tossed in carelessly, making him wince and suck in a breath as he landed painfully on the hard floor, looking up in despair when they closed the door behind him loudly.

"Snotlout!" He heard a new voice, looking up to see Hiccup coming over quickly. As much as he was relieved and happy to see his cousin again, Snotlout only frowned at him with big eyes.

"Are you alright? Where have you been, I-I was so worried, I didn't know what happened, I-I thought Grimmel might have….oh Gods, are you okay?" Hiccup shook his head as he came over, bending down next to Snotlout, who sat up, avoiding looking at him.

He was blinking away tears, frowning deeply and when he didn't answer, Hiccup only continued. "Oh Snotlout, I-I'm so sorry, this is all my fault, I'm the reason you're hurt, you must hate me. Th-This was never supposed to happen, you getting hurt, I'm just so sorry and if you wanna hate me, go ahead but I-"

"Hiccup, shut up."

"What?"

"I said, shut up." Snotlout growled softly, looking up finally, giving Hiccup a sort of mean look. Hiccup frowned at him, not understanding, looking concerned. "You have nothing to be sorry about," Snotlout continued. "Nothing bad has happened to you the way it has to me. You should be grateful."

"What-What are you talking about?" Hiccup frowned, voice low.

"I'm talking about how everything's been happening to me and not you and how you're perfectly fine and well just like you should be." Snotlout frowned, a little crossly.

Hiccup looked a little hurt, frowning. "Snotlout, I said I was sorry."

"Well, don't be. I told you not to blame yourself and here you are, blaming yourself."

"But, I-I just-"

"Look, whatever happens to me I don't want you blaming yourself for." Snotlout stated, turning away as he hugged his knees to his chest, eyebrows furrowed as he bit his lip hard.

Hiccup was frowning deeply at him, swallowing hard. "Snotlout, what happened? Did Grimmel do something to you? He didn't cut off another one of your fingers did he?!"

Snotlout cringed a little, face scrunching up in pain. "You don't get it, do you? I'm the one dying and you're the one taking the blame when you shouldn't be."

"Wait, dying? Snotlout, you're not dying. Are-Are you?"

"I might as well be! After all he's done to me and he's only going to keep doing it and without Hookfang, i'm a goner, Hiccup!"

"Snotlout, you can't talk like that, dying, you-you can't be dying, you-you have to stay alive, you have to!" Hiccup frowned with wide eyes, getting a little scared at the thought of losing his cousin.

"After what he's done to me and my parents, I might as well just accept it now, Hiccup." Snotlout almost sighed, lowering his head.

"Your parents? Is that where you were, with them?"

Snotlout gave a nod. "And I was sick last night and it's not like i'm getting any better. And Astrid still isn't here which means she might not ever get here which means we'll all be dead anyways….It's over."

Hiccup shook his head no. "No, no, it-it can't be over. Snotlout, you-you gotta get through this, you have to. And-And you said so yourself, Astrid will be here, she'll bring help. But you can't just give up now, you've still got a lot of fight left in you, why you're-"

"They raped my mother, Hiccup." Snotlout stated coldly. "They've hurt my father and they've tortured me. I lost my beautiful pinky and now i'm practically useless. Everybody in the village is probably gone by now and there's nothing we can do about it. Grimmel's already won. At least I'll die knowing I saved you and Astrid's life."

Hiccup stared, quiet a minute, closing his open mouth. "Grimmel said he's going to kill me tomorrow. In front of the whole village. Or at least, what's left of it."

Snotlout raised his head, looking a little alarmed, frowning with worry in his eyes. "I-I won't let him kill you." He stated. "He-He can kill me instead."

"Snotlout, you-"

"It's for the best, Hiccup! I'm already dying, it has to be me. I couldn't live with myself knowing you died when it could have been me instead. Besides, you're the chief, you have to stay alive in order to keep watch over the village."

Hiccup swallowed the large lump in his throat, putting a hand gently on his shoulder. "Well if I die, you could run the village instead."

Snotlout looked at him with a frown, brows furrowed. "No I couldn't. You're the chief. Stoick left you in charge, you're the next heir, that's how it works."

"But as your friend, I would put you in charge." Hiccup stated sincerely, watching him.

"No way." Snotlout said after a minute. "I'm not fit to be chief, I-I couldn't handle it. You-You're the one who always knows what to do. You're the perfect one, you can do anything, you even trained a Night Fury."

"But you're just as good, Snotlout. Please, just accept it. I know you'll be a great leader."

Again Snotlout shook his head. "No! You're the chief and that's that. You're not going to die, I'll die for you." He huffed, clenching his jaw tightly.

"But Snotlout, you don't have to die, you can get through this, I know you can! You are a Dragon Rider, you can-"

"Was, I WAS a Dragon Rider!" Snotlout snapped with tension, eyes going narrow. "And so were you. But not only that you were The Dragon Conqueror too which is all the more reason for you to be chief. You killed the Red Death, you defeated Drago and Grimmel, once, you've-"

"Snotlout, whatever you say isn't going to change my mind. I still care about you and I want you safe. There's no way I can just let you die, either." Hiccup stated, watching his cousin closely with a frown of concern. "You were right, I'm not as strong as you or as tough and I'm not exactly perfect either. But you, you're probably the toughest guy I know."

"Pfft. That's not true. What about your dad? And stupid Eret, son of Eret…" Snotlout snorted, feeling only pitied.

"Sure yeah, but Snotlout, I believe in you. I know you can get through this. No one's going to die, we're all going to get through this, I'll make sure of it."

Snotlout sat quietly in silence a moment. "Hiccup? Just promise me that when I do die, you won't blame yourself, okay? I can't die knowing you'll only blame yourself."

"But you won't-"

"Promise me! Please."

Biting his lip, Hiccup frowned at him but gave in with a sigh. "Promise."

* * *

After their little talk, Snotlout went over to the corner to sit alone, needing some space and quiet as he pulled his knees to his chest with a frown, closing his eyes tightly as he hoped his parents were okay.

He didn't understand why Hiccup and his parents wouldn't let him accept his upcoming death; he already knew it was going to happen, so why not just accept it?

He never wanted to die like this but he knew that when he did die, he could rest peacefully, knowing he saved the lives of both Astrid and Hiccup, still constantly reminding himself that all this torture he suffered, could've been Astrid instead, shuddering at the thought.

His stomach did a little flip and he winced at the pain, at least glad he wasn't throwing up again, remembering how embarrassing it was to have been sick in front of his parents.

Absentmindedly, paying no mind to Hiccup at the other side of the room, Snotlout rubbed gently at the spot below where his pinky used to be, wishing he still had it, it being so unrattling not to have it there, wondering if this is how badly Hiccup felt when he lost his leg. Course he was in a coma for a few weeks before he had found out.

Swallowing hard, Snotlout sighed, closing his eyes tight as he leaned his head back against the wall, frowning deeply.

 _Hookfang, I wish you were here, brother. I need you, more than ever. Please, I don't wanna die without getting to see you again. I love you Hooky, I miss you. I'm nothing without you._

He thought of all the years he had spent with his dragon, on Berk and the Edge, remembering all the fun, and dangerous, times they had shared, by each other's sides the whole time without ever leaving one another.

Okay, that was a bit of a stretch, since Hookfang was always leaving him behind but Snotlout knew he never meant anything out of it.

Before he knew it, Snotlout was blinking away tears and he frowned, quickly rubbing at his eyes, hoping Hiccup hadn't seen, holding back a sniffle, seeming to grow more and more hopeless with every passing minute, knowing his demise was only getting more and more close, filling him with even more dread and despair.

He assumed Hiccup was feeling the same way but was probably more concerned about his still missing wife, knowing he would continue to worry sick about her until he knew she was alright. Snotlout was worried about her too, loving and caring about her like a sister almost, knowing he would never let anything happen to her.

But he had still given up, knowing that if Astrid wasn't coming, they were for sure doomed.

There were noises at the door suddenly and Snotlout lifted his head in surprise to look over, seeing guards coming in and though fear overcame him, he didn't object when they grabbed in, watching as they grabbed Hiccup too, who squirmed, but obliged as well.

They were both taken down the hallway and brought to Grimmel, getting shoved to their knees again before him, hands bound behind their backs.

Snotlout looked up into Grimmel's eyes with hate, eyebrows furrowed together, mouth a thin line, still wondering how this man could be so cruel to others.

Grimmel of course just smiled down at them both, that happy twinkle in his eye. "Now how are we doing today, hmmm? Snotlout, how are your parents?"

Anger coursed through Snotlout and he almost leapt to his feet out of rage, snarling. "You bastard! I'm going to kill you, I swear!"

Grimmel's smile grew, letting out a tsk tsk sound. "Oh, testy, aren't we? How cute!"

Snotlout growled again, desperately wanting to kill this man, loathing his guts.

"Grimmel, whatever you're up to now, I suggest you change your mind now. If you hurt either one of us, you won't like what's coming." Hiccup stated, glaring crossly.

"Heh. Well that's a lot of talk coming from you, chief." Grimmel almost laughed. "Need I remind you, you only have until tomorrow before I kill you and your pathetic little existence will be no more? And then, I shall travel to the Hidden World, where I will take out your Night Fury next."

Snotlout's eyebrows raised in alarm at the mention, knowing that meant Hookfang too, anger and fear washing through him. "You will never get to the Hidden World! I won't let you! And I won't let you kill my cousin either!"

This time Grimmel really did laugh. "And what exactly are you doing to do to stop me? You only have nine fingers now, remember?"

Snotlout flinched a little, continuing to scowl at the evil man and his hateful smirking. "You can do whatever you want to me, but you're not going to do anything to Hiccup." He declared, showing he was serious.

Grimmel raised a brow, still looking quite amused. "Of course not my boy. I'm just going to keep hurting you! Won't that be fun?"

"Grimmel…." Hiccup growled as a warning but the man only ignored him.

"You're going to enjoy this, boys," Grimmel declared, already grabbing Snotlout off the floor, who growled and started to pull away. "It's going to be quite a joy, for me!"

He was pulling Snotlout away forcefully, who struggled and squirmed to get away, kicking, laughing down at him.

Hiccup rose to his feet with a growl, angry. "Grimmel, you can't-" He was quickly apprehended by guards, pulling him back, holding him firmly.

Snotlout growled and kicked at Grimmel, who let go of him suddenly, whipping him around and punching him hard in the face with a laugh, Snotlout falling to the ground with a yelp, looking up wide-eyed.

Grimmel's foot struck him and Snotlout gasped with pain, wincing, struggling to scoot away, hands still tied behind him, going still when Grimmel suddenly kicked him in the head, gasping and whimpering in pain.

Grimmel stood above him in laughter, Hiccup crying out in protest in the background, kicking and fighting against the guards, Snotlout scooting away weakly when the stars in his vision disappeared.

He heard Grimmel laugh and felt a yanking on his hair, screaming in pain as he was yanked to his feet, crying out as he kicked. _The hair, it's always the hair, why is it always the hair?!_

Grimmel whipped him around again and punched him in the stomach and then the face, laughing as Snotlout fell to the ground, clearly enjoying himself.

Snotlout groaned and whimpered in pain, curled into a ball, trying his best to ignore the pain but he couldn't, shaking as Grimmel kicked him again.

"Grimmel, stop it! Stop! Hurt me instead, you can hurt me!" Hiccup was shouting from the sidelines and Snotlout weakly raised his head, gasping when Grimmel grabbed him again, arm wrapped tightly around the boy's throat.

"You can't do anything my boy, you are useless! You're nothing without your dragon and because of it, you've failed everybody, including your pathetic cousin!" Grimmel shouted, throwing Snotlout down to the ground, who landed painfully on his chest, whimpering.

"N-No! I may be nothing but that doesn't mean you've won!" Hiccup declared, continuing to struggle against the guards that held him back.

Snotlout heard laughter behind him and flinched when he was picked off the ground again, squeaking when Grimmel pointed a dagger at his throat with a chuckle.

"No, I already have won, Hiccup. You can't save him now, like you saved your Night Fury friend. It's all over. You've failed him and you've failed everybody! And now, he's going to die because of you!"

Snotlout shook his head no quickly, squirming weakly but Grimmel kept his arm wrapped around him tightly, whimpering as he brought the blade closer and closer to his throat until it was touching him.

"No! Don't you dare, Grimmel! You can't hurt him!" Hiccup cried out, looking frightened, struggling desperately against the guards, kicking everywhere.

Grimmel laughed. "You fool. You honestly thought you could stop me? You're just a boy and there's nothing you can do to stop me now. I've simply-"

Grimmel stopped when a loud whirring sound rang through the air and everyone froze, raising their heads in confusion, looking for the source.

"Huh?"

Snotlout looked around with huge eyes as the sound got louder and he frowned as he thought he recognized it, tensing when he realised Grimmel did too, already stepping backwards with him with a gasp.

There was the sound of what sounded like an explosion and suddenly the wall before them burst open, blocks of debris flying everywhere, a massive gaping hole in the wall now revealing Toothless before them, hundreds of dragons flying over the island behind him, already attacking.

A massive blur suddenly flew in and scrambled around wildly, shooting fire everywhere, roaring ferociously, looking frantic, moving around incredibly fast, coming to a stop just in the middle of the room, flames dousing as he roared again. Snotlout felt his mouth drop open, suddenly overjoyed.

"HOOKFANG!"

The Nightmare quickly looked over at the sound, eyes going wide, then narrowing into slits, snarling furiously at the sight of Grimmel holding his rider with a knife at his throat, immediately beginning to rush over to get to him.

Grimmel continued to back away, looking incredibly shocked and afraid, seeing Toothless had now came in as well as went to Hiccup, knowing there wasn't a way out of this, but at least he could take care of Snotlout.

"Stop him!" He shouted at the guards, who hurried over to block Hookfang's path, pointing their weapons at him and shouting. Hookfang skidded to a stop with a roar, trying to get past, shooting fire at them and trying to get them away, knocking them aside this way and that.

"Hookfa-mmph!" Grimmel clamped a hand down over Snotlout's mouth, getting a better grip on him as he hurried towards the door, taking Snotlout with him, snarling.

"Get me a dragon that can get me out of here!" He ordered one of the guards as he ran past, taking off down the hall, a struggling and whimpering Snotlout still with him.

"Aye sir!"

Snotlout cried out as they disappeared down the hall, unable to see Hookfang anymore, suddenly scared, kicking and squirming desperately in an attempt to get away but Grimmel would not let go of him.

When Hookfang lost sight of his rider, he immediately became even more frantic, furious, lighting his entire body aflame, knocking away men with his tail or simply setting them all aflame, screams and the smell of burning flesh filling the air.

Hookfang dashed quickly over to the door where Grimmel had exited, roaring as he looked down the hall but didn't see Snotlout, bobbing his head in a panic when he realised he couldn't go through, much too big.

After a warm greeting, Hiccup was now in his usual spot upon Toothless, already in the air, Astrid and Stormfly nearby, Astrid beyond relieved to see her husband was okay.

"Hookfang, this way!" He shouted, Toothless and Stormfly already flying out through the giant hole to continue on with the battle.

Hookfang looked over and quickly flew after them with a roar, flying as fast as he could, immediately looking around for Snotlout when he was outside.

Grimmel ran out of the building with Snotlout still in his grip, who continued to struggle helplessly, Grimmel seeing guards standing around a Deadly Nadder, keeping it calm, hurrying over, hopping on, the dragon squawking and taking off when they were both on.

Snotlout looked below them with wide eyes as he saw they were flying away, whimpering as he shook his head no, continuing to squirm, managing to bite Grimmel's hand hard, making him yelp and snarl.

"Why you little-!" He tightened his grip on him, struggling to stay on all at once as the dragon flew as quickly as she could towards the sea.

"Hookfang!" Snotlout cried out as soon the hand was gone, looking down below desperately for his companion, hoping he would come for him, struggling against Grimmel the best he could, though he was weak and his hands were still tied behind him, which didn't help.

Looking down he saw buildings aflame and guards fleeing as the dragons attacked, freeing their riders and the other villagers, soon having people on their backs as they then helped with the battle. But he didn't see Hookfang.

"Hookfang!" He yelled again but yelped when Grimmel pulled on his hair, going still at the pain, breathing heavily as he almost cried, frightened.

"Enough!" Grimmel growled into his ear, keeping him still, glaring down below with fury, hating that his plan had failed.

Whimpering, Snotlout heard a roar and looked back, gasping happily when he saw Hookfang coming in close behind them, looking furious. "Hookfang!"

Grimmel growled again with a scowl and leaned right, making the Deadly Nadder descend and fly towards the docks, swerving this way and that. Snotlout frowned when he realised Grimmel was trying to lose Hookfang. "No!"

Hookfang flapped his wings as hard as he could and easily caught up, snarling, eyes narrowed into slits, not daring to take his eyes off the dragon carrying his rider, snorting as he watched Grimmel hop off onto the nearest boat when they were close enough, Snotlout still with him.

Snotlout whimpered and struggled on his feet, elbowing and yanking the best he could, feeling the ropes around his wrists suddenly being cut, gasping when Grimmel held his dagger to his throat. "Enough! You're not going anywhere!"

Within seconds, Hookfang landed on the boat with a loud thump, the boat instantly teetering and rocking from the large gain of weight, Grimmel and Snotlout nearly toppling straight to the floor. Grimmel quickly regained himself with a growl, pointing the dagger back at Snotlout's throat.

Hookfang roared in fury, eyes narrowed into slits, flames coming off sections of his body as his flames ignited furiously, starting forward.

"Don't take another step, dragon," Grimmel warned, holding onto Snotlout tightly. "Or i'll kill your precious rider."

Hookfang snarled menacingly, furious, not stopping, creeping forward slowly, growls and angry warbles escaping him, a few stray flames still coming off his back, his entire body heated with anger.

Snotlout watched fearfully with wide eyes, not sure what was going to happen, knowing Hookfang wasn't going to stop no matter what, but what did that mean for him? And what was Grimmel going to do?

The knife was brought closer to his neck as Grimmel glared, not taking his eyes off of Hookfang, who continued to creep closer. "I said stop, dragon, unless you want your rider dead."

Hookfang opened his mouth to let out a deafening roar, rising to his feet and extending his wings out, craning his neck closer, eyes narrowed into slits, smoke rising from his nostrils as he continued to growl.

He just wanted Snotlout and he would not back down until he got him again, hoping if he looked intimidating enough and didn't back down, Grimmel would give himself up.

As Hookfang continued to get closer, Grimmel had had enough and with a snarl, he shouted, "So be it!" And then he plunged the dagger straight into Snotlout's stomach, stabbing him deeply.

Snotlout cried out in shock, gasping loudly, the pain blinding him, a mixture of different sounds escaping him all at once as he immediately hunched over, gasping again in pain when Grimmel ripped the blade right out of him. Hands flying to the wound, they quickly became bloody and crimson.

Hookfang's roar was ear-piercing, almost a shriek, roaring in fury and worry at the sight of his now wounded rider, worry quickly morphing into rage, lashing his snout out and locking his teeth onto Grimmel's arm, ripping the man away from Snotlout instantly, who had fallen to the ground by now.

Blood filled Hookfang's mouth as his teeth sank into Grimmel's flesh, hearing bones snap, the man screaming and yelling but there wasn't any time to notice, too furious to care, throwing the man into the air, nearly ripping his entire arm off in the process.

Snarling, Hookfang took to the air and eyes narrowed furiously, caught Grimmel in his claws, dive-bombing back down to Earth, slamming him down onto the hard ground, pinning him beneath his massive claws, hovering his snout above him, chilling growls escaping his throat as blood dripped from his teeth.

Grimmel, clearly injured, panted and screamed, shaking, grabbing at Hookfang's claw with his good arm, attempting to escape though it was quite obvious it was pointless.

Glaring down at Grimmel viciously, Hookfang knew his riders didn't generally have their dragons kill people, the boy called Hiccup aiming for peace and a change of heart instead, which most of the time worked, but now, Hookfang knew this man had to die and he so badly wanted to be the one to kill him.

He could care less that the man was hurt and frightened, trying to get away uselessly, only knowing he had hurt his precious Snotlout and still raging with fury, Hookfang sank his teeth again into Grimmel's flesh, this time on the opposite side, teeth biting down through arm and chest.

He snarled and shook his head, twisting and pulling, trying to do as much damage as he could though the man was still alive, sounds and noises still coming from him.

Hookfang lifted his head and slammed Grimmel's body into the dirt again, snarling loudly, teeth crunching through bone and flesh, looking up when he heard his name being called, growling angrily.

"Hookfang! Aye, easy lad, ya got 'em!" Hookfang looked over to see the one who looked like Snotlout, his father Spitelout, flying over on Kingstail, hopping down near him when he was close, axe in hand. "Thatta boy, now go to Snotlout, I'll finish this!"

Hookfang gave him an incredulous glare with a snort, growling, saying No way, i'm going to kill him but then he remembered Snotlout, who was hurt and bleeding and was back there, all alone.

Hookfang's eyes went wide and worry flooded through him, taking his claws away and flying away as quickly as he could back towards the docks with a roar, no longer worried about Grimmel or even caring, figuring his rider's father wouldn't have a problem finishing the job as he said he would.

Spitelout marched up to Grimmel, a growl already escaping his mouth, picking up the still conscious yet badly bleeding man by his tunic with a fist, a gasp escaping Grimmel's mouth when he realised who it was, Spitelout snarling in rage.

"Hurt my son will ye?!" He roared, slamming his fist into Grimmel's cheek as hard as he could, not caring if the man no longer had use of his upper body, watching angrily as the man reeled backwards onto the ground and struggled, looking as if he were trying to crawl away, but again, it was all pointless by now.

With a snarl, Spitelout grabbed him and wrapped an arm tightly around his throat, squeezing as hard as he could, more fury surging through him when Grimmel cried out and kicked, it being about the only thing he could actually do now, Spitelout choking him harshly. "Rot in Hell, you bastard!" He roared, listening to Grimmel's pathetic whimpers and gasps, still outraged, squeezing even harder.

Grimmel sputtered and wheezed, gasping and when Spitelout felt he had choked the man long enough, he let go of him and slugged him again, spitting at him as he fell, Grimmel falling helplessly to his stomach, unable to get up or move, a terrible moan escaping him as he coughed.

Scowling in hate, Spitelout huffed as he shook his head, turning away, finished with him.

Hearing new footsteps of someone approaching, the very bloody and wounded Grimmel looked up, eyes widening and mouth falling open in surprise when he saw his Deathgrippers approaching.

Grimmel managed a smile and a painful laugh, suddenly hopeful. "My pets, oh, how i've missed you. So good to see you again."

The six dragons surrounded him in a circle and kept coming closer, tusks protruding and ready, their eyes all narrowed as they each growled, hissing.

Watching them, Grimmel's smile disappeared as they crept closer, suddenly weary. "My-My pets, wha-what's wrong? It's me, your-your master!"

The Deathgrippers growled and snapped their teeth, stingers out and ready as they closed in on him, clearly angry, wanting revenge on Grimmel for enslaving them all these years against their will.

Grimmel looked around him at each of them worriedly, frightened, cowering as he knew he couldn't get away. "My-My pets, stop, stop! I-It's me!" They closed in and Grimmel gasped as the first one pounced, others following suite. "No! NO!"

Spitelout looked back at the yell as he climbed atop of Kingstail, snorting at the sight, huffing, though the Deathgrippers were being pretty brutal as they ripped Grimmel into shreds and Grimmel the Grisly was no more.

Kingstail took flight and Spitelout looked around urgently. "Go Kingstail, go! We gotta get to Snotlout!" Kingstail squawked and flew faster as they headed back to the docks.

Hookfang was already there at Snotlout's side, crooning sadly as he warbled and rumbled with worry.

Snotlout lay upon his side, blood continuing to spill out of him and he was beginning to lose consciousness, very white.

Hookfang wanted to help with the wound but he was much too big to do anything, leaning his snout close to Snotlout with big eyes, rumbling softly, frowning deeply when he could smell pain everywhere on Snotlout's body, wondering what on Earth had happened to him while he was gone.

Snotlout opened his eyes and managed a smile at his brother, reaching up to pet Hookfang's snout, so glad he could reach out to touch him again and he would be right there. "Hooky…..you came back. I missed you, Hookfang." He started with a soft voice, breathing shallow.

Hookfang whined and rumbled, keeping his snout so close to Snotlout, sniffing and looking him over anxiously, worried beyond relief, stiffening when he saw Snotlout's missing finger, letting out a snort, whining again.

Whatever had happened to his rider while he was away, Hookfang knew it wouldn't happen again, because he wasn't going to leave Snotlout's side from now on. He had to protect him and he'd make sure no one would ever hurt him again.

Snotlout was still smiling faintly up at Hookfang, despite all the pain he was in and all the blood he was losing. "I-It's okay, Hooky. I already know i'm dying. I-I'm just glad I got to see you again."

Hookfang's eyes widened and he warbled out in protest, nudging Snotlout's arm gently, trying to nuzzle him the best he could, warbling sadly, not wanting to lose him, scared and wanting to help, upset he couldn't do anything. He watched as Snotlout could hardly keep his eyes open, making him warble in fear, roaring at him in hopes that he would answer.

"Snotlout!"

Hookfang looked up to hear wing-beats, seeing Kingstail land on the boat near them, Spitelout hopping off and rushing over. Hookfang looked up anxiously, able to smell pain and worry all over him too.

"Son!" Spitelout rushed over, mouth open in fear as he bent down in front of a lifeless Snotlout, horrified at the pool of blood around him. Snotlout barely opened his eyes, whimpering. "D-Daddy…."

"Oh son," Spitelout breathed out, looking frightened, ripping off a large chunk of his shirt, quickly pressing it to Snotlout's stomach, hoping to stop the blood. "I got ye, I got ye, yer gonna be alright…." He rushed out, scooping him gently into his arms.

Hookfang watched closely, letting out a sad rumble, frightened at how little and helpless Snotlout looked, sensing how weak he was, panicking as he knew there wasn't much time left.

Frowning deeply, he felt terrible, knowing he couldn't lose Snotlout and if the boy died, it would be his fault. He was supposed to protect him, he swore he would keep his rider safe!

If only he had never left, none of this would ever have happened. He swore he would never leave Snotlout's side again.

Spitelout held Snotlout carefully, who had fallen unconscious now. He hurried over to Kingstail, who squawked in alarm, letting him climb on.

"We have to get him to Gothi, now! Find her!" He urged when he was on his Nadder's back, holding Snotlout close to his chest, looking down at him fearfully, praying he wouldn't lose him.

Hookfang raised his head when Kingstail took off and suddenly realising there was still hope and a chance to save his rider, Hookfang took off after them as fast as he could, leading the way, looking down below for the woman who was known as the healer.

Kingstail followed close behind, Spitelout holding Snotlout close and keeping his hand pressed over the wound, mumbling down to him with a scared look, trying not to let himself panic. "Come on son, come on….stay with me now."

Snotlout remained unconscious and was very pale, the life gradually draining out of him as blood continued to leave him.

Hookfang soared gracefully ahead, flapping his wings quickly, scanning the faces down below, roaring in panic and frustration when he couldn't find her.

He knew he had to find her fast, and that with each wingbeat, Snotlout's life was slipping away from them and it would be all his fault, knowing he couldn't live with himself if he lost him.

He looked down below frantically, searching everywhere and smelling, perking up in relief when he finally spotted Gothi, roaring back to Spitelout, already descending.

Spitelout looked up in alarm, the two dragons landing before Gothi who now stood before a building still in tact which was being used as a healing ward, several other Vikings being brought in, either being severely injured or seriously ill.

Hookfang recognized Fishlegs beside her, Meatlug not far away either, roaring with worry as Spitelout hurried over and brought Snotlout to them.

He heard Fishlegs gasp and the dragon frowned deeply with dread, eyes big and wide as he watched, hearing Spitelout murmur to them, Fishlegs giving a quick nod before taking Snotlout into his own arms, turning inside.

Hookfang roared in fear, not wanting to lose sight of his rider, coming closer but Fishlegs looked back. "Stay here, don't worry, he'll be alright." He ran inside and Hookfang reluctantly stayed outside, glancing worriedly at Spitelout who looked just as worried himself.

He roared softly at him and Spitelout acknowledged him as he let out a deep sigh, shaking his head. "I know lad, he'll be alright. He'll be alright." It sounded as if he was more so trying to convince himself and Hookfang looked again through the door where Snotlout had been taken, roaring sadly, unable to believe this had happened.

He prayed for Snotlout to be okay and again swore to himself not to let anything else happen to the poor boy.

* * *

Snotlout slowly opened his eyes, sprawled out on his back, frowning as he looked around, not recognizing where he was.

His memory was fuzzy and he couldn't really remember much and it felt like quite some time had passed since he was last awake. Sitting up a little, he winced as his body felt sore, a sort of numb pain still coming from his chest and stomach.

He saw he was lying in a bed and Hookfang had his neck curled around him with his head lying next to him, who opened his eyes when he sensed the movement.

Snotlout blinked but smiled, leaning up against the backboard of the bed, reaching out to Hookfang's snout happily, grateful for the touch, grinning as Hookfang sniffed his hair. "Hey Hookfang."

Hookfang kept close, lying next to the bed with his neck curled around Snotlout carefully, grateful to see the boy awake and well, having been waiting to look into his blue eyes again for what felt like forever. He sniffed him and purred happily, glad Snotlout was petting him though it was still sad and paining him to have to look at Snotlout's injured hand.

Snotlout hugged Hookfang's snout gently with a smile, nuzzling him gratefully, heart warm and happy. "I'm glad you came back, Hooky. So Astrid was out getting help after all, huh?"

Hookfang warbled softly in response, giving Snotlout a little nudge, still just happy his rider was awake. Snotlout sighed, still tired and weak, but glad to see his dragon again, feeling so much better to have him there at his side again, continuing to pet him happily.

He glanced around to see he wasn't the only one in the room; several other Vikings lay in beds of their own, some accompanied with Dragons as well, many appearing sick while others appeared injured.

Frowning, Snotlout then wondered if had been injured, or worse, dead, and that this is what Valhalla looks like, struggling to try and remember.

He then heard his name being called, looking over, grinning when he saw his father hurrying over.

"Snotlout! Ah, son!" Spitelout smiled, hugging Snotlout tightly in relief, who frowned and winced with pain as he squeezed him, Hookfang sending the man a growl, nudging at him to get away and to stop hurting his rider.

Spitelout put his hands up in surrender and stepped back, chuckling lightly. "Okay, okay, sorry!"

June came over with a smile as well and hugged Snotlout, though much gentler this time which Hookfang allowed, sniffing Snotlout all over afterwards to make sure he hadn't been hurt.

Snotlout ignored him, looking at his parents expectantly. "Mom, Dad, what-what happened?" He frowned.

Spitelout and June exchanged a glance, holding hands. "Well ya see son, you were stabbed, ye almost died in fact. But Gothi and Fishlegs saved ya jus' in time."

Snotlout frowned and slowly lifted his shirt, examining his stomach, seeing stitches, frowning deeply as worry and dread suddenly washed over, swallowing hard when he saw all the welts and bruises across his chest again.

Hookfang craned his snout closer and sniffed as he stared at the wounds, stiffening with anger, growling lowly, nuzzling Snotlout softly, who petted him gently with a frown.

"And Grimmel? What's happened with him? And the village? Hiccup?"

"Grimmel's been taken care of, son, you don't have to worry about him ever again." Spitelout assured, chuckling softly with a huff. "And everyone else is fine, dear, even Hiccup, don't you worry. And now that the Chieftess brought the dragons back, we drove the Warlords and everyone else away so we have our island back again, Thank Thor." June added with a soft smile.

Snotlout frowned and looked around, wanting to see and make sure his cousin was okay himself. "You-You sure? Everyone's okay? You're-You're okay?" His eyes widened, remembering what had happened to his mother, still worried as ever for his friends who he hadn't seen for days now.

"Yes dear, we're fine and so is everyone else, don't worry. We're just glad you're alright, sweetie." His mother said softly, taking Snotlout's hand gently, who frowned up at her.

He remembered almost dying and having told his parents and cousin he had already accepted his death but that was before Hookfang had came back and saved him.

Snotlout wasn't sure how he felt now. He had survived but now what? Hookfang beside him gave him a little nudge and Snotlout perked up a little, petting him gently, nuzzling his snout. He knew one thing for sure: he sure felt better now that Hookfang was back.

"So son, how do you feel?" His father asked him.

"I'm still really tired," He sighed again, frowning at the floor. "I-I guess i'm not sure what to do now."

"You could start by accepting my apology." Snotlout heard a new voice, looking over to see Hiccup walking in, Toothless at his side. Snotlout was relieved to see Hiccup, seeing he was in new clothes and looking well, appearing unharmed, letting out a sigh of relief, worry subsiding.

"Oh, Hiccup. Are you okay, nothing happened to you right?"

"I'm fine, Snotlout. It's you I was worried about." Hiccup came over to the bed with a sympathetic look, frowning as he looked Snotlout over. Toothless joined him and sniffed Snotlout with a frown, Hookfang watching him closely, holding back a growl, figuring he'd better respect his King. Toothless wasn't doing any harm though.

"How you feeling?" Hiccup asked softly, watching Snotlout shrug. "Tired. I'm really sorry, Hiccup." He then frowned deeply.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry?"

"I'm sorry I gave up so easily. I shoulda known Astrid would've still made it. I'll try to be stronger next time, okay?"

Hiccup pursed his lips together, shaking his head no slowly. "Snotlout, you were injured, there's no reason for you to be sorry. I'm the one who's sorry I should be the one apologizing all over the place! You almost died, Snotlout and what you went through and all that's happened never should have. I'm really sorry I let you down, cousin. But I-I'm really glad you're safe now."

Snotlout frowned at his cousin's apology, not sure if he should just go with it or continue to protest. "Th-Thanks Hiccup." He said after a minute. "I'm sorry too but as long as everyone's okay now that's all that matters."

Hiccup nodded, smiling faintly, putting a hand on Toothless' snout to pet him. "And besides, you won't have to be stronger next time because there won't be a next time. The Dragons are staying, for good."

"Wait they are? How?" Snotlout sat up a little, quickly looking at Hookfang, petting him as he held his snout close to him.

"Well I guess they just decided to stay here with us. I told Toothless they could go home but they seem to want to stay here." Hiccup shrugged, looking at Toothless who warbled softly, ears raised in attention.

"Well, that's a relief." Snotlout only smiled, continuing to hug and nuzzle Hookfang, relieved. "You're not going anywhere now, are ya Hooky?"

Hookfang huffed and snorted, accidentally shooting a puff of smoke from his nostrils into Snotlout's face, making him cough. He frowned and nuzzled him again quickly, Snotlout laughing softly, patting his head. "Hookfang…."

Despite the people around him, Snotlout leaned down to whisper into his dragon's ear. "Don't ever leave me again, okay Hooky?"

Hookfang smiled softly and nuzzled him in affection, purring softly in response.

After that, he never left Snotlout's side again and the two remained brothers once more.

 **A/N: If y'all wanna leave a request feel free to but I might not get to it right away; I already have so many one-shots planned and will most likely have already started the next one so...but I promise I should get to it eventually!**


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